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Complete List of Winners for the 34th Annual Sports Emmy Awards

Let’s go over the entire list of those who won hardware in the 34th Annual Sports Emmy Awards. The awards were handed out at Frederick P. Rose Hall at Lincoln Center in New York.

Overall, NBC Sports Group has reason to crow with 23 Emmys, the most of any sports media group. Turner Sports was next with 7 followed by HBO with 6. The ESPN Family of Networks received five awards and MLB Network had three. The CBS consortium, Fox Sports Media Group and NFL Network won two and YouTube got one Emmy.

The entire list is below. It’s a long list so I give a jump break on the main page. Get ready to scroll for a while.

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NBC Sports Group Crows About Its 11 Sports Emmy Awards

NBC was the network to garner the most Sports Emmy Awards with 11 taking home the bacon for the Olympics, Sunday Night Football, Super Bowl XLVI, Bob Costas, Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth. That’s a lot of hardware. The next highest award-winner was HBO with six.

Here’s NBC’s press release.

NBC SPORTS GROUP COLLECTS 11 SPORTS EMMY AWARDS, MOST OF ANY SPORTS MEDIA COMPANY

London Olympics Garners Five Awards, Including Outstanding Live Event Turnaround
Sunday Night Football Wins Fifth Consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Live Sports Series; Super Bowl XLVI Wins for Outstanding Live Sports Special
Bob Costas, Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Pierre McGuire Honored

NEW YORK – May 7, 2013 – NBC Sports Group won 11 Sports Emmy Awards, the most of any sports media company for the third straight year; the London Olympics received five Emmys, including Outstanding Live Event Turnaround; Super Bowl XLVII won for Outstanding Live Sports Special; Sunday Night Football won its fifth consecutive award for Outstanding Live Sports Series; and Bob Costas, Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Pierre McGuire were all honored in their respective categories at the 34^th Annual Sports Emmy Awards, presented tonight by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center.

MARK LAZARUS, NBC SPORTS GROUP CHAIRMAN: “We could not be more proud of our dedicated team. Tonight is particularly special because we were recognized for our coverage of the London Olympics and the NFL, two properties that touch virtually everyone in the NBC Sports Group – and our on-air commentators. It’s rewarding to know that our talent continues to be recognized year in and year out by our peers.”

Formed in January, 2011, the NBC Sports Group consists of NBC Sports, NBC Sports Network, Golf Channel, NBC Olympics, 11 NBC Sports Regional Networks, two regional news networks, NBC Sports Radio and NBCSports.com.

NBCUniversal’s coverage of the London Olympics was honored with a total of five Emmy Awards in the following categories:

• Outstanding Live Event Turnaround;
• The George Wensel Technical Achievement Award – NBC, NBC Sports Network, NBCOlympics.com, Bravo, CNBC, MSNBC, Telemundo;
• Outstanding Technical Team Studio;
• The Dick Schaap Outstanding Writing Award;
• Outstanding New Approaches, Sports Programming – NBCOlympics.com.

For the fifth consecutive year, NBC Sports won Outstanding Live Sports Series for Sunday Night Football. NBC Sports has now won the award in six of the last seven years, also winning in 2007 for its NASCAR coverage.

NBC Sports was also honored with the Emmy for Outstanding Live Sports Special for its coverage of Super Bowl XLVI. NBC Sports also received the Emmy in this category for its coverage of Super Bowl XLIII.

Bob Costas was awarded his 25^th career Emmy and fifth consecutive for Outstanding Sports Personality-Studio Host. Costas hosted the London Olympics, is the host Football Night in America, NBC Sports’ acclaimed NFL studio show, and Costas Tonight, which airs on NBC Sports Network. He won the Emmy in the same category last year for his work on Football Night.

Al Michaels was awarded the Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Personality – Play-by-Play, for his work on Sunday Night Football. For Michaels, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 32^nd Annual Sports Emmy Awards in 2011, this marks his seventh career Emmy Award.

Cris Collinsworth was awarded his fifth consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Sports Personality-Sports Event Analyst. This marks Collinsworth’s 14^th career Emmy, which includes wins in 2007 and 2008 in the Studio Analyst category for work on Football Night in America.

Pierre McGuire, NBC Sports Group’s “Inside the Glass” analyst for its NHL coverage, was awarded his first career Emmy for Outstanding Sports Personality – Sports Reporter.

And ESPN’s press release is coming next.

34th Annual Sports Emmy Awards Winners

The 34th Annual Sports Emmy Awards were handed out tonight in New York at Frederick P. Rose Hall at the Time Warner Center.

Thanks to Josh Krulewitz, ESPN public relations maven, I can list the individual winners. I’ll have a full list from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences tomorrow and I’ll post it when it becomes available.

First, no surprises in the talent categories. The usual suspects won, Costas, Collinsworth, Barkley and Al Michaels is back for play-by-play, his sixth Emmy.

If you want to see the nominations in full, you can go here.

I’ll go in the order the awards were handed out.

The George Wensel Technical Achievement Award – Games of the XXX Olympiad: The Multi-Screen Olympics, NBC/Bravo/CNBC/MSNBC/NBC Sports Network/NBCOlympics.com/Telemundo

Outstanding Live Event Audio/Sound – NASCAR on Fox, Fox

Outstanding Production Design/Art Direction – NCAA March Madness: Brackets Everywhere, truTV

Outstanding Studio Show Weekly – Inside the NFL, Showtime/CBS Sports/NFL Films

Outstanding Long Feature – Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel: Steve Gleason: Tragic Hero, HBO

Outstanding Editing – 24/7: Pacquaio-Marquez 4, HBO

Outstanding Sports Promotional Announcement, Episodic – A Football Live: Life Story, NFL Network/NFL Films

Outstanding Sports Personality, Sports Reporter – (TIE) Pierre McGuire, NBC (why?) and Tom Verducci, MLB Network/TBS

Outstanding Graphic Design – MLB Network Division Series: The Scrapbook, MLB Network

Outstanding Sports Documentary – Namath, HBO

Outstanding Technical Team Studio – Games of the XXX Olympiad, NBC/Bravo/MSNBC/NBC Sports Network/Telemundo

Outstanding New Approaches Sports Programming Short Format – Sport Science, ESPN/Base Productions

Outstanding Playoff Coverage – (TIE) National League Championship Series: Cardinals vs. Giants, Fox and NBA Playoffs, TNT

Outstanding Camera Work – Outside the Lines: Breaking the Silence, ESPN

Outstanding Edited Sports Special – One Heartbeat, CBS Sports Network/CBS Sports

Outstanding Music Composition/Direction/Lyrics – Namath, HBO/NFL Films

Outstanding Sports Promotional Announcement, Institutional – (TIE) It’s Not Crazy, It’s Sports: Shake On It, The Name, Born Into It — ESPN/Wieden & Kennedy and NCAA March Madness: Brackets Everywhere, TBS/CBS/TNT/truTV

Outstanding Sports Personality, Play-by-Play – Al Michaels, NBC

Outstanding New Approaches Sports Event Coverage – Red Bull Stratos: Space Jump, YouTube/Red Bull Media House

Outstanding Open/Tease – NBA on TNT: All-Star Game Tease, TNT

Outstanding Post Produced Audio/Sound – Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Miami Dolphins, HBO/NFL Films

Outstanding Sports Personality, Sports Event Analyst – Cris Collinsworth, NBC

The Dick Schaap Writing Award – Games of the XXX Olympiad: Measure & Motion, NBC

Outstanding New Approaches Sports Programming – Games of the XXX Olympiad: Countdown to London, NBCOlympics.com

Outstanding Edited Sports Series/Anthology – Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, HBO

Outstanding Sports Personality, Studio Analyst – Charles Barkley, TNT

Outstanding Sports Journalism – E:60: Beitar Jerusalem, ESPN2

Outstanding Technical Team Remote – Winter X Games 2012, ESPN 3D

Outstanding Short Feature – NFL GameDay Morning: Immaculate Remembrance, NFL Network

Outstanding Live Sports Series – Sunday Night Football, NBC

Outstanding Studio Show, Daily – MLB Tonight, MLB Network

Outstanding Live Event Turnaround – Games of the XXX Olympiad, NBC

Outstanding Live Sports Special – Super Bowl XLVI, NBC

Outstanding Sports Personality, Studio Host – Bob Costas (who else?), NBC/NBC Sports Network

The network press releases crowing about their Sports Emmy wins are trickling in. I’ll post them in order of their arrival into the Fang’s Bites inbox.

MLB Network’s Live Game Schedule for April

Opening Week in Major League Baseball is coming up. MLB Network will air 26 games in the opening month of the 2013 season. On Tuesday, April 2, Bob Costas, Jim Kaat and Sam Ryan will be in Los Angeles for the Dodgers home opener against National League West Division blood rival San Francisco.

From there, MLB Network will have four other games that it will produce itself during the month. Matt Vasgersian will call three of them with Costas taking the other one.

We have the live game schedule for MLB Network for April. The games in bold are MLB Network productions.

April 2:           San Francisco Giants @ Los Angeles Dodgers / Bob Costas, Jim Kaat & Sam Ryan
April 12:         Atlanta Braves @ Washington Nationals / Matt Vasgersian, John Smoltz & Sam Ryan
April 18:         St. Louis Cardinals @ Philadelphia Phillies / Matt Vasgersian, Jim Kaat & Sam Ryan
April 25:         Toronto Blue Jays @ New York Yankees / Matt Vasgersian, John Smoltz & Sam Ryan
April 30:         Cincinnati Reds @ St. Louis Cardinals / Bob Costas, John Smoltz & Tom Verducci

Date	Time (ET)	Primary	Alternate
Tue., April 2	3:00 p.m.	Baltimore Orioles @ Tampa Bay Rays (HOME OPENER)
	10:00 p.m.	San Francisco Giants @ Los Angeles Dodgers	St. Louis Cardinals @ Arizona D-backs (9:30 p.m.)
Thu., April 4	12:30 p.m.	Los Angeles Angels @ Cincinnati Reds	San Diego Padres @ New York Mets (1:00 p.m.)
	7:00 p.m.	Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees	Philadelphia Phillies @ Atlanta Braves
Fri., April 5	1:00 p.m.	New York Yankees @ Detroit Tigers (HOME OPENER)
Fri., April 5	4:30 p.m.	St. Louis Cardinals @ San Francisco Giants (HOME OPENER)	San Diego Padres @ Colorado Rockies (4:00 p.m.) (HOME OPENER)
	7:30 p.m.	Chicago Cubs @ Atlanta Braves	Oakland Athletics @ Houston Astros (8:00 p.m.)
Sat., April 6	7:00 p.m.	Kansas City Royals @ Philadelphia Phillies	Cleveland Indians @ Tampa Bay Rays
Mon., April 8	4:00 p.m.	Cincinnati Reds @ St. Louis Cardinals (HOME OPENER)	New York Yankees @ Cleveland Indians (HOME OPENER)
Tue., April 9	6:30 p.m.	Los Angeles Dodgers @ San Diego Padres (HOME OPENER)	Chicago White Sox @ Washington Nationals (7:00 p.m.)
	10:00 p.m.	Oakland Athletics @ Los Angeles Angles (HOME OPENER)	Houston Astros @ Seattle Mariners
Thu., April 11	7:00 p.m.	Baltimore Orioles @ Boston Red Sox	New York Yankees @ Cleveland Indians
Fri., April 12	7:00 p.m.	Atlanta Braves @ Washington Nationals	Philadelphia Phillies @ Miami Marlins
Sat., April 13	7:00 p.m.	Cincinnati Reds @ Pittsburgh Pirates	Toronto Blue Jays @ Kansas City Royals
Tue., April 16	7:00 p.m.	Philadelphia Phillies @ Cincinnati Reds	Arizona D-backs @ New York Yankees
Wed., April 17	12:00 p.m.	Kansas City Royals @ Atlanta Braves
Thu., April 18	1:00 p.m.	San Francisco Giants @ Milwaukee Brewers	Texas Rangers @ Chicago Cubs (2:15 p.m.)
	7:00 p.m.	St. Louis Cardinals @ Philadelphia Phillies	Miami Marlins @ Cincinnati Reds
Fri., April 19	7:00 p.m.	Los Angeles Dodgers @ Baltimore Orioles	Atlanta Braves @ Pittsburgh Pirates
Sat., April 20	7:00 p.m.	St. Louis Cardinals @ Philadelphia Phillies	Atlanta Braves @ Pittsburgh Pirates
Tue., April 23	7:00 p.m.	St. Louis Cardinals @ Washington Nationals	New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays
Wed., April 24	1:00 p.m.	St. Louis Cardinals @ Washington Nationals	Chicago Cubs @ Cincinnati Reds (12:30 p.m.)
Thu., April 25	7:00 p.m.	Toronto Blue Jays @ New York Yankees	Cincinnati Reds @ Washington Nationals
Fri., April 26	7:00 p.m.	Atlanta Braves @ Detroit Tigers	Toronto Blue Jays @ New York Yankees
Sat., April 27	9:00 p.m.	Milwaukee Brewers @ Los Angeles Dodgers	San Francisco Giants @ San Diego Padres (8:30 p.m.)
Tue., April 30	8:00 p.m.	Cincinnati Reds @ St. Louis Cardinals	San Diego Padres @ Chicago Cubs

That is all.

The Tim McCarver Broadcasting Timeline

No matter what you think of Tim McCarver and judging from the reaction on social media, a lot of people are happy he’s leaving the Fox broadcast booth after this season. I was not a fan and felt he was overrated by the New York media when he was with the Mets in the 1980′s into the 1990′s. In addition, I thought he was verbose and overexplained things. However, you can’t deny his longevity in the booth and his career.

He’s been either the number analyst or co-number dating back to 1985 when he was with ABC Sports. McCarver has worked with some of the game’s best broadcasters including Jack Buck, Bob Costas, Dick Enberg, Sean McDonough and Al Michaels. He’s one of the few broadcasters who has worked for ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. And behind the mic, he’s been witness to some of the game’s greatest moments either as a local or national announcer.

So thanks to Fox Sports, we have a timeline of McCarver’s broadcasting career in addition to the partners with whom he’s shared the mic.

Here’s the timeline.

TIM McCARVER’S BROADCASTING CAREER HISTORY

Tim McCarver’s notable broadcasting career began as his standout four-decade baseball career concluded. A three-time Emmy Award winner, he established his reputation as a first-guesser, which has always set him apart from other analysts, during a local broadcasting career that spanned 23 seasons and as MLB’s predominant national voice since 1984. His analysis and astute observations have become synonymous with Major League Baseball’s jewel events and most dramatic moments for 30 years. Below is a summary of McCarver’s impressive broadcasting credits:

LOCAL BROADCAST CREDITS

• 23 seasons as a local team analyst:
  • Philadelphia Phillies: (WPHL) 1980 – 1982, 3 seasons
  • New York Mets: (WOR) 1983 – 1998, 16 seasons
  • New York Yankees: (WNYW) 1999 – 2001, 3 seasons
  • San Francisco Giants: (KTVU) 2002, 1 season
• One of only three broadcasters to call local games for the Mets and Yankees

NATIONAL BROADCAST CREDITS

• 30 seasons as a national network MLB analyst
  • NBC: 1980 – Analyst – Game of the Week
  • ABC: 1984 – 1989 (6 seasons) – Analyst & Field Reporter
    • Monday Night Baseball
    • National League Championship Series – 1984, 1986, 1988
    • World Series – 1985, 1987, 1989
    • All-Star Game – 1986, 1988
  • CBS: 1990 – 1993 (4 seasons) – Lead Analyst
  • • Game of the Week
    • National League Championship Series (1990-1993)
    • World Series (1990-1993)
    • All-Star Game (1990-1993)
  • ABC: (The Baseball Network) 1994 – 1995 (2 seasons) – Lead Analyst
  • • Baseball Night in America
    • National League Division Series – 1995 (Inaugural Season)
    • National League Championship Series – 1995
    • World Series – 1995
  • FOX: 1996 – through 2012 (17 seasons) – Lead Analyst
  • • FOX Saturday Baseball Game of the Week – 1996 – 2012
    • World Series – 1996, 1998, 2000-2012
    • American League Championship Series – 2001, 2003 – 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011
    • National League Championship Series – 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012
    • American & National League Division Series 1996-2007
    • All-Star Game – 1997, 1999, 2001 – 2012
• 2012 Ford C. Frick Award from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
• Only MLB analyst to work for all four major broadcast networks
• Won three straight Emmy Awards for Outstanding Sports Event Analyst (2000 – 2002)
• Worked on-air every postseason since 1984 (28 consecutive)
• Called 23 World Series – a record
• Called 20 All-Star Games – a record
• Called Mark McGwire’s record breaking 62nd regular season home run in 1998
• Teamed with Joe Buck, his MLB on FOX play-by-play partner, a record 17 years as the network’s lead national baseball broadcast team
• Co-hosted HBO’s Race For the Pennant in 1978
• Field reporter for the National League Championship Series for ABC Sports in 1984
• Hosts the syndicated sports interview program, The Tim McCarver Show, currently in its 12th season

BROADCAST PARTNERS

Dick Enberg (NBC Sports 1980)
Bob Costas (NBC Sports 1980)
Richie Ashburn (Phillies local WPHL 1980-1982)
Harry Kalas (Phillies local WPHL 1980-1982)
Andy Musser (Phillies local WPHL 1980-1982)
Chris Wheeler (Phillies local WPHL 1980-1982)
Fran Healy (Mets local WOR 1983-1998)
Ralph Kiner (Mets local WOR 1983-1998)
Tom McCarthy (Mets local WOR 1997-1998)
Bob Murphy (Mets local WOR 1983-1998)
Gary Thorne (Mets local WOR 1983-1998)
Don Drysdale (ABC Sports 1984)
Keith Jackson (ABC Sports 1984)
Al Michaels (ABC Sports 1985-1989 & The Baseball Network/ABC Sports 1994 & 1995)
Jim Palmer (ABC Sports 1985-1989 & The Baseball Network/ABC Sports 1994 & 1995)
Jack Buck (CBS Sports 1990-1991)
Sean McDonough (CBS Sports 1992-1993)
Jim Kaat (Yankees local WNYW 1999-2001)
Bobby Murcer (Yankees local WNYW 1999-2001)
Ken Singleton (Yankees local WNYW 1999-2001)
Suzyn Waldman (Yankees local WNYW 1999-2001)

FOX SPORTS

Joe Buck (1996-2013)
Bob Brenly (1996-2000)
Kenny Albert (2003-2013)
Thom Brennaman (2003-2013)
Josh Lewin (2003-2012)
Mel Proctor (2003-2005)
Dick Stockton (2003-2013)
Matt Vasgersian (2003-2013)

TIM McCARVER’S MEMORABLE ON-AIR MOMENTS

• Steve Garvey’s game-winning home run off Lee Smith in Game 4 of the 1984 NLCS
• Umpire Don Denkinger’s infamous blown call in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series
• The classic 16-inning sixth game of the 1986 NLCS between the Mets and Astros
• The memorable seven-game World Series in 1987 between the Twins and Cardinals (home team won every game)
• The Dodgers/Mets seven-game NLCS in 1988
• The 1989 Earthquake Series between the A’s and Giants
• The heart-stopping 1991 World Series between the “worst to first” Twins and Braves, considered by many to be the greatest Fall Classic ever (all seven games were won by the home team)
• The base hit by Atlanta’s Francisco Cabrera that scored Sid Breem with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth of the seventh game of the 1992 NLCS
• Joe Carter’s World Series-winning home run off Mitch Williams in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series
• The Yankees return to glory as they came back from an 0-2 deficit to beat the Braves in the 1996 World Series
• Mark McGwire breaking Roger Maris’ single season home run record in 1998
• David Cone’s perfect game for the Yankees on July 18, 1999
• The 2000 Subway Series between the Mets and Yankees
• The post-9/11 World Series in October 2001, a series that saw:
• The Diamondbacks take a 2-0 lead at home
• the Yankees roar back with three wins at Yankee Stadium, all by one run and Games 4 and 5 in extra-innings after needing to score two runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie
• the Diamondbacks win Games 6 and 7 at home
• Arizona’s come-from-behind win in the ninth-inning of game 7 (on-air McCarver noted: “The problem with bringing the infield in against a guy like Rivera is that left-handed hitters tend to get a lot of broken-bat hits to…the shallow part of the outfield,” thus predicting Luis Gonzalez’ game-winning hit)
• The Angels first-ever World Series win the seven-game All-California World Series vs. San Francisco in 2002
• The nail-biting 2003 ALCS between the Yankees and Red Sox that featured Aaron Boone’s walk-off pennant-winning home run in Game 7
• The Red Sox historic comeback from an 0-3 deficit to beat the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS
• The Red Sox sweep the Cardinals in the 2004 World Series
• The White Sox end their 88-year World Championship drought in 2005
• The Giants win the franchise’s first World Championship since 1954, and it’s first-ever in San Francisco in 2010
• The 2011 Rangers/Cardinals World Series including the epic Game 6 where St. Louis come back from deficits in the 9th and 10th innings and David Freese hit the game-winning, 11th inning solo home run to force Game 7
• Giants’ Pablo Sandoval’s three home runs against Tiger’s Justin Verlander in Game 1 of 2012 World Series

Some interesting material there.

NBC Sports Group Crows About Its 58 Sports Emmy Nominations

NBC received a total of 58 nominations for the 34th annual Sports Emmy Awards. The NBC Sports Group consisting of NBC, NBC Sports Network, Golf Channel, Bravo, CNBC, MSNBC and NBCOlympics.com received the most nominations of any sports media group over ESPN, Fox Sports Media Group, CBS and Turner Sports. Of course, NBC is coming off an Olympics so that will increase its nominations.

Among the major nods include Bob Costas and Dan Patrick for Studio Host, Al Michaels for Play-by-Play, Cris Collinsworth as Event Analyst, Tony Dungy for Studio Analyst, multiple nominees for Sports Reporter including last year’s winner Michele Tafoya and last year’s nominee Pierre McGuire (why?), Sunday Night Football for Live Sports Series, Super Bowl XLVI in the Live Sports Special category and there were plenty for the London Olympics.

Let’s take a look at what NBC Sports Group is saying.

NBC SPORTS GROUP GARNERS 58 SPORTS EMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS, MOST OF ANY SPORTS MEDIA COMPANY

Total Nominations for NBC Sports Group up from 33 Last Year
NBC Leads All Networks (Broadcast or Cable) with 36 Nominations
London Olympics Receives 19 Nominations
NBC Sports Group’s NFL Coverage Receives 16 Nominations
Super Bowl XLVI Receives Nomination for Outstanding Live Sports Special
Sunday Night Football & Football Night in America Nominated for Outstanding Live Sports Series & Outstanding Studio Show – Weekly
On-Air Personalities Costas, Michaels, Emrick, Collinsworth, Dungy, Patrick, Mayock, Tafoya, McGuire, Boldon & Joyce Nominated
NBC Sports Network Garners 9 Nominations; NBCOlympics.com Receives 3; Golf Channel Earns 2

NEW YORK – March 20, 2013 – NBC Sports Group received 58 total Sports Emmy Award nominations for 2012, the most nominations for any sports media company or network. NBC led all networks, broadcast or cable, with 36 nominations. The announcement was made today by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The winners will be announced by the Academy on Tuesday, May 7.

Highlights of NBC Sports Group’s nominations include:

• The London Olympics received 19 nominations, including Outstanding Live Event Turnaround;
• NBC’s NFL coverage received 16 nominations;
• Super Bowl XLVI on NBC was nominated for Outstanding Live Sports Special;
• Once again, Sunday Night Football on NBC was nominated for Outstanding Live Sports Series, which it has won each of the last four years;
• Football Night in America was nominated for the third consecutive year for Outstanding Studio Show – Weekly;
• NBC’s NFL Wild Card Saturday received its second nomination for Outstanding Playoff Coverage;
• NBC Sports Network received nine nominations, the most in its history, and Golf Channel earned two.
• NBC Sports Group’s digital assets NBCOlympics.com and NBCSports.com received a combined four nominations.
• 11 nominations in individual talent categories:

• Bob Costas (Studio Host)
• Dan Patrick (Studio Host)
• Al Michaels (Play-by-Play)
• Cris Collinsworth (Event Analyst)
• Michele Tafoya (Reporter)
• Tony Dungy (Studio Analyst)
• Mike Mayock (Event Analyst)
• Mike Emrick (Play-by-Play)
• Pierre McGuire (Reporter)
• Ato Boldon (Event Analyst)
• Andrea Joyce (Reporter)

All of the national platforms of NBC Sports Group — NBC Sports, NBC Sports Network, Golf Channel, NBCOlympics.com and NBCSports.com — received nominations. Most notably, NBC Sports Group received 19 nominations related to coverage of the London Olympics and 16 nominations for its NFL coverage. Golf Channel earned two nominations, NBCOlympics.com received three nominations and NBCSports.com was honored with one. MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo and Telemundo each received nominations for their London Olympics coverage.

The complete list of NBC Sports Group nominations are as follows:

• Outstanding Live Sports Special: Super Bowl XLVI (NBC)
• Outstanding Live Sports Series: Sunday Night Football (NBC)
• Outstanding Live Event Turnaround: London Olympics (NBC)
• Outstanding Live Event Turnaround: USA Pro Challenge (NBC)
• Outstanding Playoff Coverage: NFL Wild Card Saturday (NBC)
• Outstanding Edited Sports Special: Still Standing: The Earl Campbell Story (NBC Sports Network)
• Outstanding Studio Show – Weekly: Football Night in America(NBC)
• Outstanding Long Feature: London Olympics – Olga Korbut (NBC)
• Outstanding Open/Tease: Sunday Night Football (NBC)
• Outstanding Open/Tease: London Olympics – Measure & Motion (NBC)
• Outstanding Open/Tease: Red Bull Signature Series – Show Open (NBC)
• Outstanding New Approaches, Sports Event Coverage: Super Bowl XLVI Extra (NBCSports.com)
• Outstanding New Approaches, Sports Event Coverage: London Olympics – Live From London (NBCOlympics.com)
• Outstanding New Approaches, Sports Programming: London Olympics – Countdown to London (NBCOlympics.com)
• Outstanding Sports Personality, Studio Host: Bob Costas (NBC/NBC Sports Network)
• Outstanding Sports Personality, Studio Host: Dan Patrick (NBC/NBC Sports Network/DirecTV)
• Outstanding Sports Personality, Play-by-Play: Al Michaels (NBC)
• Outstanding Sports Personality, Play-by-Play: Mike Emrick (NBC/NBC Sports Network)
• Outstanding Sports Personality, Studio Analyst: Tony Dungy (NBC)
• Outstanding Sports Personality, Sports Event Analyst: Cris Collinsworth (NBC)
• Outstanding Sports Personality, Sports Event Analyst: Mike Mayock (NBC/NFL Network)
• Outstanding Sports Personality, Sports Event Analyst: Ato Boldon (NBC)
• Outstanding Sports Personality, Sports Reporter: Michele Tafoya (NBC)
• Outstanding Sports Personality, Sports Reporter: Pierre McGuire (NBC/NBC Sports Network)
• Outstanding Sports Personality, Sports Reporter: Andrea Joyce (NBC/NBC Sports Network)
• Outstanding Technical Team Remote: America’s Cup World Series (NBC)
• Outstanding Technical Team Remote: London Olympics (NBC)
• Outstanding Technical Team Studio: London Olympics (NBC/NBC Sports Network/MSNBC/Telemundo/Bravo)
• Outstanding Camera Work: London Olympics – Measure & Motion (NBC)
• Outstanding Camera Work: 2012 Ironman World Championship (NBC)
• Outstanding Editing: London Olympics – Profiles of the London Games (NBC)
• Dick Schaap Writing Award: London Olympics – Measure & Motion (NBC)
• Outstanding Post Produced Audio/Sound: London Olympics – Measure & Motion (NBC)
• Outstanding Graphic Design: Sunday Night Football (NBC)
• Outstanding Graphic Design: London Olympics (NBC/NBC Sports Network)
• Outstanding Production Design / Art Direction: Sunday Night Football – Open (NBC)
• George Wensel Technical Achievement Award: London Olympics – The Multi-Screen Olympics (NBC/NBC Sports Network/ NBCOlympics.com/ MSNBC/ CNBC/ Telemundo/Bravo)
• George Wensel Technical Achievement Award: London Olympics/NBC Golf Tour – 360 Cam (NBC)
• Outstanding Sports Promotional Announcement – Episodic:
  • London Olympics – Britain Just Got Great (NBC)
  • Triple Crown Trailer (NBC)
  • Feherty Live from Ryder Cup(Golf Channel)

That will do it. More Emmy nomination press releases next.

34th Annual Sports Emmy Awards Nominations Announced

Just received this from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the full press release of the nominations for the 34th Annual Sports Emmy Awards.

NBC Sports Group received the most nominations with 58 followed by ESPN with 43 and Turner in third with 27.

Bob Costas was nominated yet again for Outstanding Studio Host along with Dan Patrick, James Brown, Ernie Johnson and Rich Eisen.

There were only four nominees for Outstanding Play-by-play, Mike Breen, Mike Emrick, Al Michaels and Jim Nantz.

Cris Collinsworth received another nomination for Outstanding Event Analyst. He’s joined by Ato Boldon of NBC Olympics, Jon Gruden, Jim Kaat and Mike Mayock.

Studio Analyst was full with Charles Barkley of TNT, Tony Dungy of NBC’s Football Night in America, CBS’ Boomer Esiason, MLB Network’s Harold Reynolds, Bill Ripken also from MLB Network and Kurt Warner of NFL Network.

Let us take a look at the full list. We need a jump break in here as well. Let’s go. Lots of things to read through. Get ready to scroll.

THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES ANNOUNCES THE NOMINEES FOR THE 34th ANNUAL SPORTS EMMY® AWARDS

Winners to be Honored During the May 7th Ceremony At Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center

New York, NY – March 20, 2013 – The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) today announced the nominees for the 34th Annual Sports Emmy® Awards.

More than 170 nominees were announced in 34 categories including Outstanding Live Sports Special, Live Series, Sports Documentary, Studio Show, Promotional Announcements, Play-by-Play Personality and Studio Analyst. The Awards will be given out at the prestigious Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center located in the Time Warner Center on Tuesday, May 7th, 2013 in New York City.

“What a world we live in,” said Malachy Wienges, Chair, NATAS. “The Olympics, NASCAR, the Super Bowl, the Final Four, the World Series, The Stanley Cup, The NBA, the US Open, the Masters…it just goes on and on! This is another outstanding year for the sports community and for The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The entries received in this year’s Sports Emmy Awards illustrate the high-water mark of quality each of us gets to enjoy every time we turn on our favorite program. With so much talent vying for the prestigious Emmy Award and with many of the today’s leading sports broadcasters, personalities, and television professionals in attendance, it promises to be an exciting evening.”

The networks of NBC Sports Group (NBC, NBC Sports Network, Golf Channel nbcolympics.com, Bravo, CNBC, MSNBC, nbcsports.com, & Telemundo) lead the nomination totals with 58, ESPN (ESPN, ESPN2, grantland.com, ABC, ESPN3D, ESPNU & ESPNews), garnered 43, and Turner Sports (TNT, TBS, NBA TV, NCAA.com & truTV) garnered 27. A complete list of all Networks and individual show nominations follows below.

A complete list of all nominees is attached and also available at www.emmyonline.tv/sports

34th Annual Sports Emmy Award Nominations by Network Group
Network or Network Group Nominations

NBC Sports Group (NBC, NBC Sports Network, Golf Channel, nbcolympics.com, Bravo, CNBC, MSNBC, nbcsports.com, Telemundo) — 58
ESPN (ESPN, ESPN 2, grantland.com, ABC, ESPN 3D, ESPNU, ESPNews) — 43
Turner Sports (TNT, TBS, NBA TV, truTV, NCAA.com) — 27
FOX Sports Media Group (FOX, SPEED, FOX Soccer Channel) — 17
HBO Sports — 17
NFL Network (NFL Network, NFL Media, NFL.com) — 16
CBS (CBS, Showtime, CBS Sports Network) — 15
MLB Network — 9
DIRECTV — 1
YouTube — 1

34th Annual Sports Emmy Award Nominations by Network

NETWORK — NOMINATIONS

NBC — 36
ESPN — 23
HBO Sports — 17
FOX — 13
NFL Network — 13
TNT — 13
CBS — 10
ESPN2 — 10
MLB Network — 9
NBC Sports Network — 9
TBS — 5
NBA TV — 4
Showtime — 4
truTV — 4
grantland.com — 3
NBCOlympics.com — 3
Speed — 3
ABC — 2
Bravo — 2
ESPN3D — 2
ESPNU — 2
Golf Channel — 2
MSNBC — 2
NFL Media — 2
Telemundo — 2
CBS Sports Network — 1
CNBC — 1
DIRECTV — 1
ESPNews — 1
FOX Soccer Channel — 1
nbcsports.com — 1
NCAA.com — 1
NFL.com — 1
YouTube — 1

BREAKDOWN OF MULTIPLE PROGRAM — SERIES NOMINATIONS

Program/Network/Nominations
Games of the XXX Olympiad (NBC/Bravo/CNBC/MSNBC/NBC SportsNetwork/NBCOlympics.com/Telemundo) — 14
NBA on TNT (TNT) — 6
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (TNT) — 6
E:60 (ESPN2) — 5
24/7 (HBO) — 4
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Miami Dolphins (HBO) — 4
MLB on FOX (FOX) — 4
Outside the Lines (ESPN) — 4
Sunday Night Football (NBC) — 4
NASCAR on FOX (FOX) — 3
NFL Films Presents (NFL Network) — 3
30 for 30 (ESPN) — 2
A Football Life (NFL Network) — 2
College Gameday (ESPN) — 2
The Dream Team (NBA TV) — 2
Inside the NBA (NBA TV) — 2
Inside the NFL (Showtime) –2
MLB Network Division Series (MLB Network) — 2
MLB Tonight (MLB Network) — 2
Namath (HBO) — 2
NCAA March Madness (TBS) — 2
NFL on FOX (FOX) — 2
SportsCenter (ESPN) — 2
Sport Science (ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNews) — 2
UEFA Euro 2012 (ESPN) — 2

The nominations are coming after a jump break.
(continue reading…)

World Baseball Classic To Air Exclusively on MLB Network

All 39 games of the World Baseball Classic, the sport’s answer to soccer’s World Cup, basketball’s FIBA World Championships and Hockey’s IIHF World Championships, will air on MLB Network. Four years ago, the games were split between MLB Network which was brand spanking new at the time and ESPN. Now MLB Network will air the entire WBC while ESPN Deportes will have the Spanish language rights.

MLB Network has assigned the announcers for each round and in a very good move, it has sent all of its crews to the various sites in Asia, the Caribbean, and of course, the United States.

For the first round, Miami Marlins announcer Rich Waltz will be joined by Toronto Blue Jays voice Buck Martinez in Japan, JB Long and Joe Magrane will be in the great country of Taiwan, MASN’s Gary Thorne and Fox Sports West’s Jose Mota are assigned to Puerto Rico and two crews led by Matt Yallof and Matt Vasgersian will call games in the United States.

Then to the second round, Waltz and Martinez will remain in Japan while the games in the US will be played in Miami with Matt Vasgersian on the play-by-play, Heidi Watney will be the on-field reporter. The analysts joining Matt will be John Smoltz, Tom Verducci and Harold Reynolds, but not all at once.

Then in the Championship Round, Vasgersian, Jim Kaat and Tom Verducci call the semifinals. Bob Costas joins Kaat and Verducci for the final.

Games will be streamed online. Subscribers to Bright House Cable, DirecTV and Time Warner Cable will be able to watch the games at the World Baseball Classic website and through Apple devices on the WBCBaseball app. Subscribers will have to authenticate.

Here’s the press release.

2013 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC BEGINS THIS FRIDAY ON MLB NETWORK

Costas, Kaat, Magrane, Reynolds, Smoltz, Vasgersian, Verducci & Yallof Among Game Announcers
World Baseball Classic Today Studio Show Premieres This Saturday, March 2 at 11:00 a.m. ET
Joey Cora to Serve as Guest Studio Analyst from March 7-9

Secaucus, N.J., February 27, 2013 – MLB Network’s exclusive English-language telecast of the 2013 World Baseball Classic in the United States begins this Friday, March 1 at 11:30 p.m. ET and continues with all 39 games of the tournament through the Championship on Tuesday, March 19 at 8:00 p.m. ET. MLB Network’s Bob Costas, Jim Kaat, Joe Magrane, Harold Reynolds, John Smoltz, Matt Vasgersian, Tom Verducci and Matt Yallof are among the group of announcers scheduled to call the tournament, produced by MLB Network in the United States and by MLB International abroad. The complete list of announcers is outlined below.

In addition to televising all 39 games, MLB Network will extensively cover the World Baseball Classic in its studio programming, including World Baseball Classic Today, which debuts this Saturday, March 2 at 11:00 a.m. ET. Former Major League infielder and coach of the 2005 World Champion Chicago White Sox Joey Cora will serve as a guest analyst on the program from March 7-9. The tournament’s Championship Round will include on-site coverage with Intentional Talk live before each game and live pre- and postgame coverage on MLB Tonight on the field from AT&T Park in San Francisco.

The announcers for the World Baseball Classic on MLB Network are:

First Round

Pool A: Brazil, China, Cuba, Japan/March 2-6

• Rich Waltz and Buck Martinez – Fukuoka Yahoo! Japan Dome, Fukuoka, Japan

Pool B: Australia, Taiwan, Korea, Netherlands / March 1-5

• JB Long and Joe Magrane – Taipei Intercontinental Baseball Stadium, Taichung, Taiwan

Pool C: Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Spain, Venezuela/March 7-10

• Gary Thorne and Jose Mota – Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Pool D: Canada, Italy, Mexico, United States/March 7-10

• Matt Yallof and Jeff Nelson – Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, Phoenix
• Matt Vasgersian, Jim Kaat and Sam Ryan — Chase Field, Phoenix

Second Round

Pool 1/Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan/March 7-12

• Rich Waltz and Buck Martinez

Pool 2/Marlins Park, Miami/March 12-16

• March 12-13: Matt Vasgersian, John Smoltz and Heidi Watney
• March 14: Matt Vasgersian, Tom Verducci and Heidi Watney
• March 15: Matt Vasgersian, Harold Reynolds and Heidi Watney
• March 16: Matt Vasgersian, Harold Reynolds, Tom Verducci and Heidi Watney

Championship Round

Semi-finals/AT&T Park, San Francisco/March 17-18

• Matt Vasgersian, Jim Kaat and Tom Verducci

Championship/AT&T Park, San Francisco/March 19

• Bob Costas, Jim Kaat and Tom Verducci

As part of its coverage of the world’s premier international baseball tournament, MLB Network’s live game telecasts will be available on an authenticated basis online and on Apple devices. At no additional cost, Bright House Networks, DirecTV and Time Warner Cable subscribers who receive MLB Network as part of their TV subscription will have access to all 39 games on computers at WorldBaseballClassic.com/Watch by logging in with their TV service provider information. Once users have authenticated online and created an MLB user profile, they can watch the tournament on Apple devices (iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch) via the WBCBaseball app, available on the Apple App Store. In addition to streaming all 39 games live, authenticated users will be able to view highlights and archived World Baseball Classic games from earlier in the tournament. The live streaming will be available beginning with the first game between Australia and Taiwan this Friday, March 1 at 11:30 p.m. ET.

MLB Network is the exclusive English-language telecast partner in the United States for both the 2013 and 2017 World Baseball Classic tournaments. MLB Network televised 16 games of the 2009 World Baseball Classic, just after the network’s launch.

That’s all.

The Next Costas Tonight Reviews The State of the NFL

Tonight, NBC Sports Network’s Costas Tonight explores The State of the NFL. It’s the second annual State of the NFL episode as last year, the premiere episode of Costas Tonight went over The State of the NFL during Super Bowl Week.

Various players and NFL executives will discuss the issues that hang over the game today such as concussions, the Rooney Rule and the Super Bowl itself.

Among Bob’s guests will be NBC’s Rodney Harrison, former Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett and NFL Vice President of Operations Ray Anderson.

The show will originate from NBC Sports’ new World Headquarters building in steamy Stamford, CT.

We have the press release and some preview videos for you. Check it out.

COSTAS TONIGHT: STATE OF THE NFL TONIGHT AT 9 P.M. ET ON NBC SPORTS NETWORK

Costas Interviews Hall of Fame RB Tony Dorsett, Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald and Former Kansas City Chiefs RB Thomas Jones
State of the League with NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Ray Anderson
Costas Previews Super Bowl XLVII with Football Night in America’s Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison
Costas Tonight is First Show To Originate From Studio 3 at NBC Sports Group’s International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn.
“Players go out there with the understanding that they are going to subject themselves to some physical play. Our job is to make sure it’s not unnecessarily physical or unnecessarily dangerous play.” – Ray Anderson, NFL EVP of Football Operations
“The Ravens are battle tested. Year in and year out they are knocking on the door, and they are extremely well coached… I think the Ravens are going to come out victorious.” – Larry Fitzgerald on Super Bowl XLVII

NEW YORK – Jan. 30, 2013 – Bob Costas, a 24-time Emmy Award-winning journalist and one of America’s preeminent interviewers, welcomed NFL players and executives to Costas Tonight to discuss the current state of the NFL. Costas Tonight: State of the NFL will examine major topics including: player health and safety; the Rooney Rule; and a preview of Super Bowl XLVII.

Costas Tonight: State of the NFL, which was recorded on Tuesday, is the first show to originate from Studio 3 at NBC Sports Group’s International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn. It airs tonight at 9 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network.

Costas was joined in studio by NFL Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett, Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald, and former RB Thomas Jones, who recently revealed he will donate his brain to the Sports Legacy Institute to be studied for evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

In addition to his interview with current and former players, Costas spoke with NFL executive vice president of football operations, Ray Anderson about player safety, the Rooney Rule and proposed changes to the rules of the game.

Football Night in America’s Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison joined Costas to discuss the state of the league and look ahead to Super Bowl XLVII.

Costas also interviewed noted psychiatrist and leading expert in the field of brain science, Dr. Daniel Amen.

Additional content from the show can be see online at NBCSports.com when the show debuts.

Costas spoke with Dorsett, Fitzgerald and Jones about the current gun culture in the league and the number of players who own or carry handguns.

INTERVIEWS: Below are excerpts from the show.

Ray Anderson on football being fundamentally dangerous no matter what type of changes the league makes to the rules of the game: “It is a very physical game and that is part of what the appeal is and it always has been. Players go out there with the understanding that they are going to subject themselves to some physical play. Our job is to make sure it’s not unnecessarily physical or unnecessarily dangerous play. It’s naïve to think that football will have its appeal if all the physicality is taken out.”

Anderson on minority hiring and the Rooney Rule: “We were not pleased with the results. I believe there is some tweaking of the Rooney Rule that we need to look into. We need to do more appropriate development and training, so that our pipeline for African-American coaches, in particular, is more robust. The Rooney Rule has a place, we have a real need for it, we have to do better. The results this time around were a disappointment and we have some work to do.”

Tony Dungy on the Rooney Rule and none of the open positions in the NFL going to minorities: “I think the system is broken. Not just looking at it from a minority standpoint, but I can tell you from head coaching standpoint. What we are doing now is not working. Twenty-one head coaching changes in the last three years. In 2009, there were 11 new head coaches hired and only two of them made it through three years. So we are not picking the best candidates. I think the owners are feeling the pressure to hire that rock star candidate and they are under pressure to move very, very quickly.”

Fitzgerald on whether he thinks he lost his only opportunity to win a Super Bowl: “No, I’m always optimistic. We play every single season and our goal is always the same, which is to hoist that Lombardi Trophy. Every year I step on that field I feel like I have the opportunity to go out there and do it against all odds. I always feel that way and that is never going to change.”

Fitzgerald’s Super Bowl pick: “I think the Ravens are going to win the football game …the Ravens are battle tested. Year in and year out they are knocking on the door, and they are extremely well coached… I think the Ravens are going to come out victorious.”

Fitzgerald on his upcoming season for the Arizona Cardinals: “There’s always questions leading into a season. We have a fresh new coaching staff. I know coach (Bruce) Arians is bringing in a great staff, and I’m looking forward to what he’s bringing to the table.”

Jones on donating his brain to be studied: “The game is something that we love; it’s the number one sport in the country. But, it doesn’t take away from the fact that we are human beings. To see all these guys take their lives because of CTE and the concussion situation that’s been a big issue, it doesn’t mean I can’t do something in support of research to help kids or players after me. This is the part of the game that people don’t want to address.”

Jones on whether he would have preferred his Bears defensive teammates to have legally hit Peyton Manning in the Super Bowl: “I would rather the teammate legally splatter him. Why? Because, number one, it’s a mentality. Now he’s going to worry about getting hit the next time and he may throw an interception. He may overthrow the ball, he may under throw it. The game is 75% mental, as well, so it’s an intimidation factor. The aggression can also cause players not to play up to their level because they are scared of being knocked out. We come up together we worked as hard as we could to make it to this level of football so you’re not trying to end someone’s career. But in between those white lines, nobody’s safe. I think every player can say that.”

Fitzgerald on Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan not benching Robert Griffin III: “That’s part of the decision process that the head coach has to make, but as a player, you never want to come out of the game. Regardless of what the situation is, you understand your teammates are counting on you. You put in a lot of time and preparation to go out there and perform at the highest ability. You know injuries are going to happen. You know that’s just part of the game and you got to push through. I understand why RGIII didn’t want to come out of the game, or any other player.”

Dr. Amen on a study he did on 135 players: “Even people who reported no concussions at all had significant trauma in their brain.”

Amen on the NFL’s improved response to the concussion issue since Roger Goodell was named commissioner of the NFL: “No question… In front of Congress he (Goodell) said that the league was studying the issue. Two months later, they completely changed their position, in larger part because of their own study. Now there are concussion posters in every major locker room in the NFL. I have seen a shift and I have been very pleased about the shift.”

Dorsett on Dr. Amen’s interview: “I’m glad to see that the NFL, the owners in particular, have owned up to the (fact) that there is a concussion problem.”

Dorsett on his last concussion:

Rodney Harrison on his post-NFL career and fears about his injuries long term:

The show airs at 9 p.m. on NBC Sports Network tonight.

NBC’s Football Night in America Quotage For 2013 Wild Card Saturday

Sometimes, a half-hour is all you need for a pregame show. Before Fox came on the NFL scene in 1994, CBS’ The NFL Today and NBC’s NFL Live were just a half-hour. ESPN’s NFL GameDay (that’s what it was called into the 1990′s) was an hour. Then Fox changed it all with its hour-long Fox NFL Sunday. Eventually, NBC followed suit. ESPN went to 90 minutes, then two hours. CBS’ return to the NFL in 1998 meant that its pregame show had to be an hour.

NFL Network decided to a four hour pregame show. Then ESPN expanded to three hours. And it’s been like this forever.

So Football Night in America which has done a half-hour edition for Wild Card Saturday since NBC returned to the NFL in 2006, had a very nice show and brought in Friend of Fang’s Bites Michelle Beadle for an interview with Houston’s J.J. Watt. And it was well-done like a steak. Why not have Michelle on every week on FNIA?

Here’s the transcript.

“FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA” – WILD CARD SATURDAY SPECIAL EDITION

Michelle Beadle Interviews Texans DT J.J. Watt
Bob Costas Interviews Vikings RB Adrian Peterson and Packers QB Aaron Rodgers
“When I’m in the off-season, in the gym, and nobody’s watching, you’re working for these moments when you’re on national television and the whole world is watching.” – J.J. Watt
“In my mind, I’m the MVP whether I win it or not.” – Adrian Peterson
“We are kind of tired of hearing about it. We want to see our defense shut him down… He’s fun to watch if he’s playing someone else.” – Aaron Rodgers on Adrian Peterson

Michelle Beadle interviewed Houston Texans DT J.J. Watt for today’s special Wild Card Saturday edition of Football Night. Bob Costas interviewed Minnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson for an interview that will appearerd at halftime of today’s Bengals-Texans Wild Card game and Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers for an interview that is scheduled to air in between Wild Card games.

INTERVIEWS: Below are excerpts from Beadle’s interview of Watt and Costas’ interviews with Peterson and Rodgers.

J.J. WATT WITH MICHELLE BEADLE

On being considered a ‘freak’ and a ‘physical specimen:’ “It’s pretty cool. It’s an honor. This is what I’ve been working my whole life for. When I’m in the off-season, in the gym, and nobody’s watching, you’re working for these moments when you’re on national television and the whole world is watching.”

On seeing people wearing his No. 99 jersey: “Christmas Day was one of the coolest days ever, because I just got to see pictures of kids opening up these gifts. And you see grandmas and grandpas with No. 99 jerseys. Everybody, all ages, so it’s one of the coolest things ever.”

On Head Coach Gary Kubiak saying he wants the Texans to play with ‘reckless abandon:’ “That’s the favorite thing I could ever hear. Because that’s when I play my best…Off the field, I’m a real nice guy, and I’m like a big teddy bear. But as soon as I step across those white lines, you turn into beast mode. You turn into monster mode. And it’s time to go.”

ADRIAN PETERSON WITH BOB COSTAS

On coming back so quickly from his torn ACL and MCL: “My mind works differently. I already feel like just genetically, from my family, that my body heals quicker than others. And most importantly, just my mindset is a lot different from other people. So I didn’t base my recovery on what everyone else had to say about it.”

On if he should win the NFL MVP: “Why should I win? I don’t really want to just plead a case for myself. In my mind, I’m the MVP whether I win it or not.”

On Packers LB Clay Matthews saying they will do a better job of stopping the run: “That’ll be fine with me. I’m going out trying to win. I’m not trying to break no records. I’m not worried about yardage. I’m worried about getting a ‘W’ when that last second went off the clock in the fourth quarter.”

AARON RODGERS WITH BOB COSTAS

On what changes for him in the post-season: “I really believe that you earn your paycheck during the season, and play at a high level, and get your team to the playoffs. And then the post-season is all about creating your legacy. The great quarterbacks are remembered for their playoff successes and triumphs and Super Bowl championships and Super Bowl MVPs. We’ve got one here and we want to add to that.”

On Adrian Peterson: “As far as we’re concerned, we are kind of tired of hearing about it. We want to see our defense shut him down. We’ve played him twice and he had, I believe, 210 yards in the first game and 199 last week. He’s fun to watch if he’s playing someone else.”

That’s it. Wild Card Sunday previews will be posted tonight.

NBC’s Football Night in America Previews Interviews For Week 16 of 2012 NFL Season

On tonight’s Football Night in America on NBC, host Bob Costas talks with San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.

We have the partial transcripts of each interview in the following press release.

“FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA” PREVIEW – WEEK 16

Bob Costas Interviews Seahawks QB Russell Wilson and 49ers TE Vernon Davis
“I believe that you have to just step up and change people’s minds. I want to change the game and that’s the way I look at it.” – Wilson on his height as a quarterback
“I have faith that it will happen in the playoffs. I will do whatever I can to help this team win.” – Davis on playing more games

NEW YORK – December 23, 2012 –Bob Costas interviewed Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson and San Francisco 49ers TE Vernon Davis for tonight’s Week 16 edition of Football Night in America, which will preview Seahawks-49ers, and will also include highlights, analysis and reaction to earlier Week 16 games.

Football Night In America, the most-watched pre-game studio show in sports, airs each Sunday at 7 p.m. ET with Costas hosting the program live from inside the stadium. He will be joined on site by Sunday Night Football commentators Al Michaels (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (analyst), as well as NBC NFL analyst and former Steelers WR Hines Ward, for reaction to the afternoon games and to preview tonight’s match-up.

Dan Patrick co-hosts Football Night from Studio 8G at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios and is joined by Super Bowl-winning head coach Tony Dungy, two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison, Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk on NBCSports.com. Carolyn Manno will report on Giants-Ravens, from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md.

INTERVIEWS: Below are excerpts from Costas’ interviews with Wilson and Davis.

RUSSELL WILSON WITH BOB COSTAS

On being a third-round pick and thinking he could be replaced after: “I don’t ever think negative. I can’t. You have to think on the positive, you have to believe in yourself and what you do and just play the game. You have to go out there and trust your preparation, what you’ve learned and what you’ve done so far and the experience has really helped me a lot.”

On possibly being the “Rookie of the Year”: “Well who knows. All I’m trying to do is help our football team win. The goal is to obviously play a great game against the 49ers.”

On being a shorter quarterback and how much his lack of size has impacted his carrier: “I think it’s helped me. It’s motivated me. I believe that you have to just step up and change people’s minds. I want to change the game and that’s the way I look at it. There have been so many other great quarterbacks before me who have done such a great job. The Doug Flutie’s of the world and Fran Tarkenton’s, Steve Young’s a little bit taller but not by much. Drew Brees for example, guys like that I really look up to and have watched and studied and learn from. I think that’s really what helps me and motivates me for all the future generations to come.”

On looking for windows that may be different for taller quarterbacks: “My significant years of playing football in terms of college and high school, I’ve been my height my whole entire life so, being used to being this height it doesn’t change for me. I’m used to seeing through the lanes, I trust what I see; I know where the defense is going. Sometimes you have to play on your toes too, you have to stand tall in there and try to elevate yourself a little bit off the ground, but I have long arms and big hands and that’s what helps me.’

On why Seattle is so tough on road teams: “Well there’s no place like home. The fans are just so energetic, the energy that they bring to our football team, and just the atmosphere is unreal.

VERNON DAVIS WITH BOB COSTAS

On why he went back to Washington, D.C., after last week’s game: “I had a toy drive at my elementary school that I went to as a kid. Through my foundation, I was hoping to give back.”
Costas: “So that was something you planned to do, as it happened, it was just a few days after Sandy Hook.”
Davis: “Yes, I planned to do it, but I wasn’t sure if Coach (Jim) Harbaugh would let me go. So initially I was just going to do the drive and have someone represent me. I asked Coach thinking he would say yes, and he did.”
Costas: “You drove overnight to D.C.”
Davis: “And I flew back right after the drive.”
Costas: “And you were at practice on Tuesday?”
Davis: “Yes, yes.”

On only getting minimal opportunities to catch the football in the last four games: “In practice, the coaches, they are always putting me in the game plan, but it just doesn’t work out that way. I have faith that it will happen in the playoffs. I will do whatever I can to help this team win.”

On having little chemistry with quarterback Colin Kaepernick who recently replaced Alex Smith: “It takes time. With Kaepernick coming in, he and Alex have totally different styles of play and I know that. But, with Kaepernick, it’s going to take some time and adjustments but I think it can happen really fast. He’s one of those guys that you want to play for. It’s getting there and I think this week should be much better.”

That is it. I’m still waiting on ESPN’s quotage and if and when it arrives, I’ll post it.

NBC’s Football Night in America Quotage For Week 15 of the 2012 NFL Season

We conclude the Sunday NFL pregame quotage with NBC’s Sunday Night Football. Because we did not receive an advance transcript of FNIA’s interviews, this post will include them here.

So let’s take a look at what was said on Football Night in America on NBC.

“FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA” NOTES & QUOTES – WEEK 15

NFL Honors Victims of Newtown Tragedy with Tributes

NEW YORK – December 16, 2012 – Following are highlights for Football Night in America. Bob Costas opened the show live from inside Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., where the New England Patriots are hosting the San Francisco 49ers. Costas covered the numerous tributes the league and its teams were making in honor of the victims of the Newtown tragedy. The program then showed prominent NFL figures discussing the tragedy in post-game press conferences, including New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin, Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin, Houston Texans DE J.J. Watt, and New York Giants WR Victor Cruz.

Costas was also joined on-site by Sunday Night Football analyst Cris Collinsworth and Hines Ward, the former Steelers wide receiver and Super Bowl MVP.

Dan Patrick co-hosted the program from Studio 8G at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios and was joined by Football Night in America analysts Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison, and NFL insiders Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Alex Flanagan reported on Steelers-Cowboys, from Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Costas interviewed San Francisco 49ers DT Justin Smith and LB Aldon Smith together, as well as Patriots DT Vince Wilfork.

Following are highlights from Football Night in America:

ON CHANGING THE NUMBER OF PLAYOFF TEAMS

Florio: “The Commissioner this week raised the possibility of increasing the playoff field from 12 teams to give it 14 or 16. An important thing to keep in mind though – the players union would have to agree to any such change. So, if the NFL wants to do it, they’re going to have to give something in return to the players’ union.”
King: “I tell you what I think the deal is going to be: I’ve talked to influential people around the league and they believe the best change is to give up two preseason weeks, which are useless anyway, and trade those to add two playoff teams. So, go from 12 to 14 playoff teams, and take away two preseason games.”

ON BROWNS

Florio on RG III: “Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III was in Cleveland for the first time today and the fact that he’s not in Cleveland more frequently could be the thing that gets general manager Tom Heckert fired. I’m told that if Heckert is let go, the primary reason will be the failure of the Browns to move up No. 4 to No. 2 in the draft to get Robert Griffin III.”
King: “I wouldn’t go buying that Nick Saban stock in Cleveland, if I were you. I don’t see Saban going to Cleveland at all, for this reason: he knows that if he goes back to the NFL, he’s going to have to have a solid long-term quarterback. There’s no way in the world he could look at the Cleveland Browns right now and think that Brandon Weeden is going to be a top 10 quarterback for the next 10 years.”

King on Chip Kelly: “I believe that two of the teams that are going to have some serious interest in him are Philadelphia and Cleveland.”

ON 49ERS-SEAHAWKS

Harrison on first game this year: “I watched a lot of tape and it was probably the most physical game I’ve watched all year.”
Dungy: “Seattle had a chance to win that game and they’re playing much better now. Watch out for Seattle, I’m telling you.”

Harrison on Seahawks:

“They’re the real deal.”
Patrick on Seahawks: “They are sneaky, sneaky good.”

ON REDSKINS

Dungy on Kirk Cousins’ performance: “You really have to credit Mike Shanahan and Kyle Shanahan. They didn’t change the offense. They ran a lot of the same things and let Kirk Cousins play.”

ON VIKINGS

Harrison on Adrian Peterson: “Hands down, he is the most valuable player in the league.”

ON RAVENS

Patrick: “So much for those hand signals that Jim Caldwell was telling the Ravens defense about.”
Dungy: “Yeah, too bad Jim couldn’t play.”
Harrison: “This team is in trouble.”
Dungy: “They’re not playing good ball. They’re not stopping the run and they’re not running the ball. A lot of problems.”

ON PATRIOTS

Harrison on Vince Wilfork: “I saw it every day in practice. It didn’t matter whether it was practice or a game, a double team. He’s a disruptive force in the middle, and he’s the main reason why this defense has improved this year…He can throw a tighter spiral than Tom Brady.”

ON 49ERS

Dungy: “San Francisco has to win this game to stay ahead of Green Bay for the bye situation, but also, if they lose, that sets up a huge game next week with Seattle basically playing for the division lead.”

INTERVIEWS:

Below are excerpts of Costas’ interviews with Justin and Aldon Smith, and Vince Wilfork.

JUSTIN SMITH & ALDON SMITH WITH BOB COSTAS

Costas: “You’re both named Smith. You both create havoc for quarterbacks. You both went to the University of Missouri. It’s like you’re twins.”
Aldon: “We are; just different colors.” (laughter)
Justin: “I don’t know about twins, but, he’s a good player. I wish I was his twin. He’s a talented, talented player. That’s where we start with that.”

Aldon on possibly breaking the single-season sack record: “I’m human, so you know it’s in my mind, but I’m just going out there playing every game, taking it one game at a time.”

Justin on Patriots high-scoring offense: “From watching them the week before with what they did to the Texans, whose a defense we respect, players that they have, the defense that they run is similar to ours, we are going to have our hands full. Tom Brady has been doing this for a long time. It’s important not to give him early looks. We’re going to have our hands full.”

Justin on Brady’s successful maneuverability in the pocket: “Well, that’s why you’ve got guys like this (Aldon), to close him down.”

Aldon on being compared to players like Demarcus Ware and Lawrence Taylor: “It means a lot. Those are truly great players. For me, this being my second year, my first year starting, to even be in the conversation with those guys means a lot, so I’ve just got to keep trying to make it happen.”

VINCE WILFORK WITH BOB COSTAS

On his deceptive speed: “I grew up athletic. I always played with guys that were smaller, guys that were faster than me; two, three, four years ahead of me in school. A lot of times, I would find myself chasing those small guys around. That’s the way I started training — quicker guys. It just made me the guy who I am today. God forbid we get all our quarterbacks knocked out of the game, the next guy that would be running the ship would be me. I’m like the fourth or fifth guy on the depth chart. If we don’t have anybody, they can turn to me.”

On the number of texts his wife sends him during the game, even though he doesn’t have his cell phone: “Oh, 41, 50. Oh yeah. It’s everything. It’s, ‘why are you out of the game? Why you didn’t make that play? Good tackle. Man, you almost had that sack. Man, I’m telling you, the defense is ballin. Tom looks good.’ Everything you could possibly imagine, she would tell you.”
Costas: “She can’t control herself.”
Wilfork: “No, she can’t. She loves football. And she’s not just a fan of myself, she’s a fan of the New England Patriots and football. That’s one thing I love about her. She loves sports.”

On telling NBC prior to Super Bowl XLVI that he can beat Tom Brady in a footrace: “Absolutely, still can. No, we didn’t (have the footrace). He’s avoiding me. But that’s ok.
Costas: “Straight ahead, standing start, you can beat Tom Brady?”
Wilfork: “Absolutely, 100 percent sure.”
Costas: “He wants no part of you.”
Wilfork: “Not at all.”

Costas: “Rodney Harrison says you can throw a spiral 60 yards. Want to go out and prove it to me?”
Wilfork: “Absolutely.”

Costas and Wilfork proceeded to the field, had a brief warm-up catch, and then Wilfork threw a 59-yard pass.

And we have the halftime commentary from Bob Costas on Tom Brady’s career.

WEEK 15 “SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” HALFTIME COMMENTARY

Costas: “Back at halftime of 49ers-Pats where the home team will have to rally, if they’re to win their eighth straight, and, more broadly, position themselves for a sixth Super Bowl appearance of the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era.

“Of course, the pursuit of a fourth Super Bowl victory has stalled with losses to the Giants, both last season and just short of perfection four years prior. So for Tom Brady, he’s still one ultimate game victory behind the player he grew up rooting for, Joe Montana.

“Brady was raised less than 20 miles from Candlestick Park, and he was there as a four-year old the day the 49er dynasty really began — in January of 1982, when Montana found Dwight Clark in the back of the end zone for the catch.

“But as Brady’s career has gone on, the achingly close Super Bowl losses to the Giants have changed the ledger. Joe Montana never lost a Super Bowl, but now Brady has a 3-2 record in them. So, raising the Lombardi trophy in February in New Orleans would tie Tom Brady with his idol, and get him back in the win column in the games that have defined his career.”

Hines Ward on if Tom Brady’s the best ever: “If I was forced to choose, I would have to go with Tom Brady, just because he’s the most clutch quarterback at big moments. I remember when he was playing, anytime he gets the ball, I just get to the bench and pray — ‘Oh, my God. I hope they don’t win the game.’ … and in his two losses to the Giants, they were able to apply pressure to Brady the same way the 49ers are doing tonight.”
Costas: “Something else to keep in mind, if David Tyree doesn’t make an impossible catch in the first loss and the usually reliable Wes Welker doesn’t drop a pass he usually catches in the second, then Brady’s already 5-0.”

***

Rodney Harrison on Giants: “The Giants will get in. It’s not about winning the division or the records or anything like that. They just want to get in the playoffs. Once they get in, they’re very dangerous. And they will get in.”

That does it for tonight.

NBC Previews The Football Night in America Interviews for Week 14 of the 2012 NFL Season

Tonight on Football Night in America, NBC’s Bob Costas speaks with Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin “Megatron” Johnson and Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy.

In addition to these interviews, FNIA will review all of Week 14′s action on Sunday with Dan Patrick, Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison in New York.

At a snowy Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI, Bob will be joined by Hines Ward as well as the Sunday Night Football crew of Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya.

Here are the preview and partial transcripts of the interviews for you posted below and you can read at your leisure.

“FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA” PREVIEW – WEEK 14

BOB COSTAS INTERVIEWS LIONS WR CALVIN JOHNSON & PACKERS HEAD COACH MIKE MCCARTHY
“Never would have fathomed.” – Johnson on possibly breaking Jerry Rice’s record for receiving yardage this year
“To be the head coach of the Green Bay Packers is just such a special, special opportunity.” – McCarthy

NEW YORK – December 9, 2012 – Bob Costas interviewed Detroit Lions WR Calvin Johnson and Packers head coach Mike McCarthy for tonight’s Week 14 edition of Football Night in America, which will preview Lions-Packers, and will also include highlights, analysis and reaction to earlier Week 14 games.

Football Night In America, the most-watched pre-game studio show in sports, airs each Sunday at 7 p.m. ET with Costas hosting the program live from inside the stadium. He will be joined on site by Sunday Night Football commentators Al Michaels (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (analyst), as well as NBC NFL analyst and former Steelers WR Hines Ward, for reaction to the afternoon games and to preview tonight’s match-up.

Dan Patrick co-hosts Football Night from Studio 8G at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios and is joined by Super Bowl-winning head coach Tony Dungy, two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison, Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk on NBCSports.com. Carolyn Manno will report on Saints-Giants, from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.

INTERVIEWS: Below are excerpts from Costas’ interviews with Johnson and McCarthy.

CALVIN JOHNSON WITH BOB COSTAS

On possibly passing Jerry Rice’s single-season receiving yardage record: “It’s crazy to me. Never would have fathomed. Never knew exactly what the record was before this point. A couple of weeks ago, my trainer told me, ‘You have to average 150 yards a game throughout the rest of the season to reach 2,000.’ At that point, I still didn’t know that I was closing in on Jerry Rice’s record. I thought he just wanted me to get 2,000.”

On the impact on fantasy teams of being caught at the one-yard line five times: (laughs) “I definitely hear it through various media outlets about how fans feel about that.”

On playing in the snow: “I would much rather play in the snow than the rain.”
Costas: “And Lambeau in the snow kind of has that classic feel to it.’
Johnson: “It does…Lambeau is historic. To be able to play there, it’s a great feeling and then to play in the snow, not many people can say that.”

On the Lions losing 21 straight road games to the Packers: “The only person that knows fully everything about that is Jason Hanson (who has played 21 years with the Lions)…I’m going to ask him, how does it feel to be in that situation? What does it really feel like to go up there every time? And gain a little perspective from his view.
Costas: “Here’s your rallying cry, win one for Jason.”
Johnson: “No doubt.”

MIKE MCCARTHY WITH BOB COSTAS

On the difference between last year’s offense and this year’s: “Well, No. 1, we’re definitely a different team. Last year was a special year. We were almost a fast-break offense. It was wide open. I don’t know if it was always the best thing for the rest of our team, particularly our defense.”
Costas: “So some of it’s by design?”
McCarthy: “I hate to say that we’re designing to score less points, but I think we’re a little more conscientious of field position, time of possession, things that will make us a more well-rounded football team.”

On the reaction from his hometown (Greenfield, Pa., a neighborhood in Pittsburgh) on the Packers beating the Steelers in the Super Bowl: “It was definitely positive, don’t get me wrong. But Greenfield is a proud neighborhood in the city of Pittsburgh. My parents still live there, so I would have preferred to have played someone else in the Super Bowl, frankly. That was a tough week…it really was more like, ‘Hey, obviously we would have wanted to win it, but if there was anyone else, we’d want it to be you.’”

On being a tollbooth taker on the Pennsylvania Turnpike after college: “I just graduated from college. My father was a Pittsburgh firefighter for over 30-plus years. He didn’t understand the concept of a college education, first job (as a coaching assistant), you don’t get paid. So, he had the opportunity to get me on the Pennsylvania Turnpike through some friends. It was my summer job before we went to training camp.”

On the monotony: “I worked the graveyard shift…I had the playbook. Paul Hacket was the offensive coordinator. He just came from the Dallas Cowboys. It was a pro system. I had never seen anything like it, so I definitely had a lot of studying to do.”

On being near iconic franchises (Steelers as a kid; Packers as a coach): “I feel very blessed. To be the head coach of the Green Bay Packers is just such a special, special opportunity. I just can’t say enough about this organization.”

That’s going to do it.

Bob Costas Milks His Anti-Gun SNF Commentary on Costas Tonight

Bob Costas, the Holy Diminutive One, will have a whole host of guests on his Year-in-Review show on NBC Sports Network. Costas Tonight will have TNT’s Charles Barkley and CBS/ESPN/NBC/Tennis Channel analyst John McEnroe talking about Bob’s anti-gun commentary from last Sunday. In addition, Bob talks with his former NBA Showtime partner (remember NBA Showtime on NBC?) Pat Riley about assembling the NBA Champions Miami Heat as well as New York Football Giants coach Tom Coughlin about winning Super Bowl XLVI back in February. US Olympic gold medal swimmers Michael Phelps and Missy Franklin will also appear on the show.

We have partial transcripts of the interviews which include Bob, Chuck and Johnny Mac talking about guns and other subjects.

Check it out below.

CHARLES BARKLEY, JOHN MCENROE, PAT RILEY AMONG THE GUESTS ON “COSTAS TONIGHT: 2012 YEAR IN REVIEW”

TONIGHT AT 9 ET ON NBC SPORTS NETWORK
Outspoken Commentators John McEnroe and Charles Barkley Discuss Costas’ Recent Halftime Essay, as well as the Top Sports Stories of 2012
Pat Riley, Michael Phelps, Missy Franklin, Tom Coughlin Also Join Costas
“I carried a gun in my car every year of my life since I was 20 – never had to use it.” – Charles Barkley
“I feel safer without it…there are too many scenarios that would make it much easier to pick up a gun and do something.” – John McEnroe
“I think this (2012) team would have run them right off the court.” – Pat Riley on the 2012 Olympic Men’s Basketball team vs. 1992 Dream Team

NEW YORK – December 5, 2012 – Costas Tonight: 2012 Year in Review will recap some of the year’s biggest sports moments on and off the field. Host Bob Costas, a 24-time Emmy Award-winning journalist and one of America’s preeminent interviewers, welcomes some of the most dynamic and influential sports personalities of 2012. Costas Tonight: 2012 Year in Review, which taped earlier this week at Rockefeller Plaza in New York, will air on tonight at 9 ET, on NBC Sports Network.

Costas hosted tennis legend John McEnroe and Hall-of-Fame basketball player and current TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley as they further discussed Costas’ recent halftime essay on Sunday Night Football, and the murder/suicide in Kansas City. They also discussed the biggest events in the sporting world in 2012, including the NBA Finals, Federer-Murray at Wimbledon and the London Olympics and they each picked their sportsperson of the year.

Additionally, Costas interviewed President of the 2012 NBA Champion Miami Heat and NBA Hall-of-Fame coach Pat Riley, Olympic Gold Medalists Michael Phelps and Missy Franklin, and Head Coach of the 2012 Super Bowl Champion New York Giants Tom Coughlin.

INTERVIEWS: Below are excerpts from the show.

COSTAS-MCENROE-BARKLEY:

Barkley: “I think, especially in the black culture, it’s a crime culture. We, as black people, and I always say we, we don’t have respect for each other. We got more black men in prison than we do in college, and crime in our neighborhoods is running rampant. I know everybody reacts when something like the (Jovan) Belcher thing happens (in Kansas City) but being black, this is something you deal with all the time, and it’s just sad. I’m a guy and I carry a gun. I carry a gun.

“I carried a gun in my car, every year of my life since I was 20 – never had to use it… I just feel safer with it because we have jocks who get robbed all the time, road rage and things like that. I feel a sense of peace when I have it with me, but it would take extreme circumstances for me to even touch it.”

McEnroe: “I feel safer without it. I’ve got to say I think that there are just so many bad things that could happen. That’s why someone like Mayor Bloomberg in New York City, where I live, has advocated, I think rightly so, that we get as many guns as possible off the streets. There are too many scenarios…that would make it that much easier to pick up a gun and do something.”

Costas: “Some people misunderstood when I pointed to what Jason Whitlock had said about a gun culture (in Sunday Night Football halftime essay). They thought I was laying everything at the feet of that. Domestic violence is part of it; the possible effect that football itself has on many of its participants is part of it. Drugs and alcohol could be part of it. And I didn’t say anything specifically about gun control legislation or the second amendment. I don’t want to repeal the second amendment. I think we should have responsible gun control but that wouldn’t prohibit somebody from carrying a gun.”

To watch a portion of this segment click here: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22825103/vp/50086518#50086518

PAT RILEY:

ON 2012 OLYMPIC BASKETBALL TEAM VS. DREAM TEAM: “This (2012) team probably would have run them right off the court. There is only one player on that team in ’92 that had the attitude, in the Olympics, that was Michael Jordan; also he was right in his prime…This team and the way that these players play now are so much more athletic and condition-wise and strength and all of these things, and the way they shoot the ball from 3-point range. I do think that this (2012) team probably would have beat the ’92 team. The ’92 Dream Team was a great team that was put together, but I’m not so sure that they were so disciplined as the team that was formed in 2012.”

PHELPS AND FRANKLIN:

PHELPS ON HIS PLANS FOR RIO 2016: “I’ll be there. I won’t be swimming. But I’ll be there.”

PHELPS ON CALL ME MAYBE VIDEO: “The 2012 Olympic Team was probably the closest Olympic team we’ve ever had. It’s funny to say this now, but the Call Me Maybe video brought all of us together. There were probably some of us that didn’t want to do it, and felt kind of weird doing it. But I think it really just shows how we are as a team.”

FRANKLIN ON HER DECISION TO CHOOSE TO GO TO UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA: “My parents and I made the decision together, and it was hard because it affects all of us. It was very hard, but at the end of the day, we truly felt that college would be more of a benefit than all this money I could be getting (by turning professional). I stay strong to that and I’m happy with our decision.”

FRANKLIN ON HALLOWEEN: “One of the biggest moments for me – especially emotionally – was Halloween. There were so many pictures of little girls dressed up as me for Halloween. That was just one of the coolest moments of my life. Even in my neighborhood, I would open the door and hand out candies to little me’s and I was just like “this is so cool!”

COUGHLIN:

ON THE HANDSHAKE WITH BILL BELICHICK AFTER SUPER BOWL XLVI: “Very, very moving experience for me because I tried to put myself in his shoes and how difficult that was for him. We kind of put our arms around each other – I won’t tell you what was said, but we put our arms around each other. We had embraced so I started to come back and he kind of pulled again. And so we…it was kind of a special moment.”

That is all.

Various Wednesday Links

I’ll do a few links for you this evening.

I’ll start with a strange story that surfaced today from a University of Maryland journalism class during which ESPN Vice President and Executive Editor John Walsh made some rather strange statements about Deadspin’s John Koblin over the Lynn Hoppes plagiarism situation. Deadspin has raised issues of Hoppes lifting material from Wikipedia. In the journalism class, student Mark Sanchez asked Walsh about Hoppes and the plagiarism. Walsh then made puzzling statements that Koblin was angry that Hoppes stole his girlfriend. This is quite interesting except that Koblin is gay. The whole thing came out on Twitter in this very interesting thread. John Koblin later talked with Walsh who denied making the statements. One of the strangest stories I’ve ever seen this year or any other year.

A story that broke Wednesday night, Michael Hiestand of USA Today reports that CBS/Turner might get permission to use ESPN’s Dick Vitale on the NCAA Tournament and team him with Charles Barkley.

ESPN has gained the rights to air the NBA in the UK and Ireland.

Jason Howerton at The Blaze writes that Bob Costas and Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly had a discussion on guns.

Dave Scott from ESPN’s Front Row public relations blog notes that Sean McDonough is recovering from surgery to correct  a rare ear condition.

Tom Van Riper of Forbes says former ESPN’er Brian Kenny brings a big network feel to MLB Network.

Reuters has a Disney executive crowing about ESPN ad sales being ahead of last year’s pace.

David Goetzl from MediaPost notes that SodaStream will advertise in Super Bowl XLVII on CBS.

Brian Steinberg of Advertising Age looks at the companies buying time in the Super Bowl.

Ed Sherman from The Sherman Report talks with former Fox Sports Vice Chairman Ed Goren about a career that spans many decades back to his days with CBS.

Ed also has former New York Times writer Robert Lipsyte discussing Bob Costas’ halftime commentary on Sunday Night Football.

Dee McVicker from Radio World says ESPN has been studying consumers’ cross-platform habits.

SportsRantz notes that Cumulus Media has purchased radio stations that ensures that CBS Sports Radio will be heard on FM in the nation’s top three markets.

Matthew Kitchen of Esquire talks with ESPN’s Samantha Steele.

Matt Yoder at Awful Announcing has video of a Comcast Sportsnet Mid-Atlantic anchor mocked LeBron James after the Washington Wizards defeated the Miami Heat last night.

Sports Media Watch says the SEC Championship Game on CBS did really well in the ratings.

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe says WBZ-TV’s Steve Burton went out on a limb to say the NHL Lockout could be resolved.

Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News talks about Fox’s spending spree reaching to Cleveland.

Jerry Barmash from Fishbowl New York notes that the Jets are staying with ESPN Radio NY for years to come.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union has the Week 14 NFL TV Schedule.

Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says TV rights fees help teams spend on free agents.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner delves into a Sports Business Journal report stating that Fox Sports was interested in buying MASN.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle talks with former Astros analyst Jim Deshaies about leaving for the Chicago Cubs.

The Chronicle prints a press release stating that ESPN’er Steve Bunin is joining Comcast SportsNet Houston.

Mel Bracht in The Oklahoman has the weekend TV ratings for Oklahoma City.

Jay Miller at Crain’s Cleveland Business speculates about the sale of Sports Time Ohio to Fox Sports. Your humble blogger is quoted in the story. (subscription might be required)

Bob Hunter of the Columbus Dispatch says the extra cash from STO’s sale may not help the Dolan family which owns the Cleveland MLB team.

Paul M. Banks at Chicago Sports Media Watch notes that ESPN’s Samantha Steele is now engaged.

Chris Kue of the Chicago Tribune has Jim Deshaies looking forward to being the new Cubs analyst.

Lewis Lazare at the Chicago Business Journal says Comcast SportsNet Chicago has hired a new news director.

Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune writes that the Raiders are shooting down any rumors of ESPN’s Jon Gruden coaching the team once again.

Jeff Blair from the Toronto Globe and Mail talks about the late Blue Jays voice Tom Cheek being bestowed a Baseball Hall of Fame honor posthumously.

At Yahoo’s Puck Daddy, Greg Wyshynski speculates on how many games would be played if the NHL Lockout ever gets resolved.

I think that will end our linkage for the night.

Time For Some Tuesday Links

Let’s do some Tuesday links. Lots of stuff to get to.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today writes that Bob Costas is receiving his share of criticism for his anti-gun commentary during halftime of Sunday Night Football.

Busted Coverage has video of Bob Costas telling Dan Patrick that he’s not backing off on his anti-gun comments.

Michael Katz of USA Today’s Game On blog recaps Vin Scully’s first and way too brief foray into Twitter on Monday.

From Yahoo’s Cagefighter, the great Maggie Hendricks tells us that Mixed Martial Arts viewing will be different in 2013.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News says Universal Sports will be moving its operations from Los Angeles to the Comcast Media Center in Denver.

From Advertising Age, Brian Steinberg writes that Mercedes-Benz plans to bring out some big guns for its Super Bowl ad in February.

ESPN’s Darren Rovell notes that Lincoln cars are looking to make a return to Super Bowl advertising.

Tom Conroy of Media Life Magazine reviews the new NFL Films-produced Travel Channel documentary series on the Cleveland Browns support staff.

Ed Sherman at The Sherman Report reviews two documentaries that debut this week.

The Nielsen Wire says the Los Angeles Lakers are the most marketable of all NBA teams.

Steve Burton of WBZ-TV in Boston is the only one reporting that the NHL Lockout is close to ending.

Bill Carter of the New York Times says Bob Costas put the spotlight on himself with his anti-gun Sunday Night Football halftime commentary.

The New York Daily News reports that the Jets have renewed their radio rights deal with ESPN Radio New York.

Jerry Barmash at Fishbowl NY says YES Network had its best ratings ever for a Nets game.

Pete Dougherty from the Albany Times Union says Monday night’s Giants-DC NFL Team contest hit the ratings jackpot for ESPN.

Chris Korman of the Baltimore Sun writes that the Orioles are denying yesterday’s Sports Business Journal report that Fox Sports attempted to buy MASN.

Sarah Kogod from the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog tells us that many DC-area athletes stayed up to watch Robert Griffin III on Monday Night Football.

Erik Wemple at the WaPo talks about sports networks tackling political topics.

Tom Jones at the Tampa Bay Times reviews what happened on sports television over the weekend.

The Fort Pierce (FL) Tribune reports that the local ESPN Radio affiliate will continue to produce nightly sports report for the local NBC and Fox stations.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle says Jim Deshaies’ departure for Chicago is a big loss for the Astros.

Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer says Fox is close to purchasing Sports Time Ohio and gaining the rights to the city’s MLB team.

Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune talks about the Cubs hiring a new analyst.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News has the five things he learned from the weekend.

Joe Flint from the Los Angeles Times says NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football is eating into the ratings of the league’s other TV partners.

Sports Media Watch notes that the MLS Cup had a slight decline in its overnight ratings as the game moved from a Sunday night to late Saturday afternoon.

The Huffington Post has video of ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit giving Northern Illinois blackboard material by ripping the team’s invitation to the Orange Bowl.

That’s where I’ll end it today.

Some Really Quick Monday Links

As I’m helping to watch my nephew today, I have a very short window to get links in before he wakes up so let’s get this done before I get delayed.

The big story is the Jevon Belcher-Kasandra Perkins tragedy over the weekend. Many of the links deal with how CBS’ The NFL Today dealt with the story. I have my own take in case you missed it.

I’ll do as many links as I can.

Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch takes CBS to task for its decision not to lead its show with the Belcher-Perkins story.

Michael Hiestand from USA Today says the Belcher story forced the Sunday NFL pregame shows to change course.

At The Sherman Report, Ed Sherman says CBS made the wrong decision not to lead with the story.

Matt Yoder at Awful Announcing has Twitter reaction as The NFL Today hit the airwaves yesterday.

SportsRantz says CBS chose to start its show with product placement for a GPS company and that itself sent the wrong message.

Back to Ed Sherman, he looks at Bob Costas’ commentary on guns during last night’s Sunday Night Football game.

Sean Newell of Deadspin goes off on Costas for his commentary.

Greg Hall says the Belcher murder-suicide put the Kansas City media in the national spotlight.

Laura Bauer and Glen E. Rice of the Kansas City Star profile Kasandra Perkins, the young mother shot nine times by Belcher.

John Ourand of Sports Business Journal reports that Fox Sports is close to purchasing the rights for the Cleveland MLB team and thus forcing the shutdown of current rightsholder SportsTime Ohio (STO).

Fox’s Charles Davis clarifies some comments he and Gus Johnson made during Saturday’s Big Ten Championship Game.

Joe Flint and Meg James of the Los Angeles Times says rising sports rights fees will come back to hit cable and satellite customers in the wallet.

Michael Shamburger of The Big Lead has video of the Best of Uncle Verne Lundquist from Saturday’s SEC Championship on CBS.

Classic Sports TV and Media looks back at Dick Vitale’s first broadcast on ESPN in 1979.

That’s all for now. If I can squeeze in some more links, I will. And I’ll do my best to post any breaking news as long as my nephew is still napping,

NBC’s Football Night in America Quotage For Week 13 of the 2012 NFL Season

I was wondering when I was going to receive the quotage for NBC’s Football Night in America. Usually, it comes earlier, but for whatever reason, it came later than usual. That’s ok. As long as it comes into the Fang’s Bites inbox before I turn in, it’s all good.

A lot of content in Sunday’s show that was helmed by Bob Costas, Dan Patrick, Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison and Hines Ward. It also includes the text of Bob Costas’ halftime commentary on guns in its entirety.

Check out all of the quotage below. There is a lot quotage for Sunday.

“FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA” NOTES & QUOTES – WEEK 13

“He did a fantastic job through this. People can’t understand how tough that is.” – Tony Dungy on Romeo Crennel
“They are going to be in the playoffs this year because of Andrew Luck. They believe in this guy.” – Tony Dungy on Andrew Luck
“Mark Sanchez had 12 weeks to prove himself, and now it is time for him to go sit on the sideline and mentally heal.” – Rodney Harrison on the Jets

NEW YORK – December 2, 2012 – Following are highlights for Football Night in America. Bob Costas opened the show live from inside Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, where the Dallas Cowboys are hosting the Philadelphia Eagles. Costas was joined on-site by Sunday Night Football commentators Al Michaels (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (analyst), and Hines Ward, the former Steelers wide receiver and Super Bowl MVP.

Dan Patrick co-hosted the program from Studio 8G at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios and was joined by Football Night in America analysts Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison, and NFL insiders Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Carolyn Manno reported from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md., on the Steelers-Ravens game and Randy Moss of NBC Sports and NFL Network reported from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on yesterday’s tragedy.

Following are highlights from Football Night in America:

Costas, Michaels and Collinsworth gave their brief thoughts on the Eagles-Cowboys before turning it over to Patrick in New York.

ON CHIEFS TRAGEDY:

Moss reporting from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City: “I spent some time in the Chiefs locker room after the game and the Chiefs players downplayed the victory as a very small piece of a suddenly very large puzzle. They were effusive in their praise for Romeo Crennel, whose talk to the team last night was inspirational in this sense. Defensive lineman Shaun Smith told me, ‘As Crennel was trying to help the team and was rock solid, players were looking at him and thinking wait a second. With what he personally saw with his own eyes, we are the ones who should be trying to help him.’ The players were also very much in agreement with the decision to play the game. Dexter McCluster said, ‘This is a game we love, the fans love and Jovan loved.’ But reality really hit defensive lineman Eric Winston hard. Winston said that he and his teammates were still struggling to reconcile the Belcher they thought they knew, with the man who committed those horrible acts yesterday that left the three month old girl orphaned. As the game clock today was winding down, Winston said, ‘It was confusing, tough and at the end of the day, I still could not stop thinking about that little girl.’ Dan it was a very emotional day here.”

Patrick: “There is nothing in the coaching handbook here guys. Tony, as a former head coach, how do you deal with this?”
Dungy: “Romeo Crennel, you heard it in his voice and you heard what Randy Moss said about those players talking about Romeo. That’s one thing the fans don’t realize. They look at you as a coach. They see wins and losses and what happens in that 60-minutes, but they don’t realize that you’re coaching 53 men. You’re coaching 53 families. That is a lot of people you’re involved with and Romeo Crennel was very emotional, but those are his guys. Those are his girls, his people and he did a fantastic job through this. People can’t understand how tough that is.”
Harrison: “Dan, obviously you have conflicting emotions because you are angry. The reality is a young man took two lives and he deeply affected so many other lives. As a teammate it saddens you. You went to war with this guy and you loved him and you cared for him. As a player, even walking over here to the studio people were asking me, ‘How could you play this game today?’ I said, ‘We play because this is what we have been programmed to do. To play football and overcome adversity. And we also play it because we love and respect the fans. We want to provide enjoyment and pleasure to the fans.’”

King: “I talked to Romeo Crennel after the game today and I asked him what he said to his team after the game, after such an emotional weekend. He said that he told them at the end of his conversation with them, ‘Look, this is not over yet. In fact, for some of us, it’s not going to be over for the rest of our lives.’”

Florio: “I talked to Carolina coach Ron Rivera after the game. He said the team left Charlotte on Saturday, not knowing whether or not there would be a game. They were prepared to defer to whatever the Chiefs and the league decided to do. Coach Rivera also told me that before the game he talked to Romeo Crennel and he saw just how emotional Romeo Crennel was. At that point coach Rivera called his team together and said, ‘Guys, the Chiefs are going to be playing with a lot of emotional energy today. If we can’t match that, we have no chance.’”

King: “We need to clarify exactly what happened at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday morning with this tragedy. Now, according to a source close to law enforcement officers on the scene, Jovan Belcher, and General Manager Scott Pioli, arrived in the parking lot outside the team’s Arrowhead training facility at about the same time, right around 8 a.m. on Saturday. Belcher seemed very upset. Pioli tried to calm him down, according to police. He (Pioli) couldn’t calm him (Belcher) down, but Belcher did say to Pioli, ‘I want to thank you very much.’ Pioli is the General Manager who took a chance on Belcher as a free agent out of the University of Maine in 2009, an undrafted free agent. Then he said, ‘Can you please call down, can you please ask Romeo Crennel and Gary Gibbs, the defensive coordinator, to come down?’ They both came out. He thanked them profusely for the chance that they gave him. Romeo Crennel told me after the game today, ‘I wasn’t able to reach the young man out there.’ Then, Jovan Belcher turned around, turned his back to them, and shot himself in the head.”

BOB COSTAS HALFTIME ESSAY

(Essay aired during halftime of tonight’s Eagles-Cowboys game)
You knew it was coming. In the aftermath of the nearly unfathomable events in Kansas City, that most mindless of sports clichés was heard yet again, ‘Something like this really puts it all in perspective.’

Well if so, that sort of perspective has a very short shelf life since we will inevitably hear about the perspective we have supposedly again regained the next time ugly reality intrudes upon our games.

Please. Those who need tragedies to continually recalibrate their sense of proportion about sports, would seem to have little hope of ever truly achieving perspective. You want some actual perspective on this? Well a bit of it comes from the Kansas City-based writer Jason Whitlock, with whom I do not always agree, but, who today, said it so well that we may as well just quote or paraphrase from the end of his article.

“Our current gun culture,” Whitlock wrote, “ensures that more and more domestic disputes will end in the ultimate tragedy, and that more convenience store confrontations over loud music coming from a car will leave more teenage boys bloodied and dead. Handguns do not enhance our safety. They exacerbate our flaws, tempt us to escalate arguments, and bait us into embracing confrontation rather than avoiding it. In the coming days, Jovan Belcher’s actions, (and its possible connection to football), will be analyzed. Who knows? But here, (wrote Jason Whitlock) is what I believe, If Jovan Belcher didn’t possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.”

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22825103/vp/50051894#50051894

ON 49ERS

Dungy on Colin Kaepernick: “It has to be Kaepernick. If you are Jim Harbaugh and you have a team that is in first place, the worst thing you can do is flip flop on who your leader is. Play Colin Kaepernick. You are going to have some ups and downs, but overall he is going to be fine.”

ON JETS

Harrison on the Jets starting QB position: “Not Mark Sanchez. McElroy came in and he gave them a spark. Mark Sanchez had twelve weeks to prove himself, and now it is time for him to go sit on the sideline and mentally heal.”
Dungy on the playoffs: “If McElroy gives them a spark, they can make the playoffs.”

ON PATRIOTS

Dungy: “They are playing better on defense, but I’m still not sold on them. But that offense is playing at a high, high level.”

ON COLTS

Dungy on Andrew Luck: “This is a team that won two games last season. They are going to be in the playoffs this year because of Andrew Luck. They believe in this guy. This is what they did not have last year, faith that they could win these games.”

ON SEAHAWKS

Dungy on Russell Wilson: “I saw Russell Wilson play against Oregon in college. He’s a winner. He’s a leader. He’s mobile. He can do all the things that you need from a quarterback.”
Harrison on Wilson: “What I love about him is the maturity. The fact that he went into that huddle and he said, ‘Hey guys, we’re going to go down and we’re going to score a touchdown,’ the poise in which he showed.”
Dungy on Wilson: “Those players love him and Pete Carroll loves him. Remember now, he benched a guy that they paid a lot of money to get, in Flynn, and went with Russell Wilson as a rookie.”

ON STEELERS

Dungy: “Pittsburgh was sinking and Cincinnati was coming on. Cincinnati won today and this is really going to set up that Week 16 battle between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. I think that is who is going to get that second wild card spot.”
Harrison on Charlie Batch: “Sorry Charlie. You finally stepped up and made the plays. I like Charlie Batch. He made some key plays in the fourth quarter and showed poise and confidence.”

ON RAVENS

Harrison: “This was a huge loss for Baltimore because I think they’re going to probably still win the division, but now that number two seed is in jeopardy.”

ON BENGALS

Dungy: “This was a huge game. With Indianapolis winning, and Pittsburgh winning, they had to win today and they did it on the west coast.”
Dungy on making the playoffs: “It’s going to come down to Week 16, playing against Pittsburgh. They are going to have to win that game to get in.”

ON COWBOYS

Collinsworth on Dez Bryant: “At some point, he has to take over and say, ‘This is who I’m going to be.’ I think he’s moving in that direction, I honestly do. I hope he is another one of those success stories.”

ON EAGLES

Ward: “All these guys are interviewing for jobs next season, not only for the Eagles, but for other general managers and other teams. Tonight is a part of the evaluation process for the Eagles organization, to find out which players are going to go out there and continue to fight, and which players are going to go out there and quit.”

BOB COSTAS ON THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

(Essay aired during Football Night In America, prior to Eagles-Cowboys game)
Andy Reid is the longest-tenured coach in the NFL, but his 14^th season with the Eagles has come undone. The team is 3-8, and has lost its last seven games.

Reid has taken the Eagles to the playoffs nine times, the conference title game five times, and the Super Bowl once, but high hopes for the franchise’s first ever Super Bowl title last season evaporated with a poor start, and an ultimate 8-8 finish. And this year has been worse.

Things actually began well for the Eagles in September, with a one-point win over the Ravens in Week 2, and then another close victory in Week 4 over the Giants on Sunday Night Football. The team was 3-1, and atop the NFC East, but they haven’t won since.

Michael Vick, whose dramatic return to prominence in 2010 appeared to create a new franchise cornerstone, has instead transformed into an ongoing question mark. The QB’s turnover-prone and inconsistent play had many calling for a change when the team began to sputter. But Reid, under the microscope of the ever-unforgiving Philadelphia sports scene, ultimately chose to stick with him, at least until Vick was knocked out of action with a concussion three weeks ago.

Reid did decide to make a big change on the “defensive” side of the ball in mid-October, firing coordinator Juan Castillo, who’d been a controversial hiring two seasons ago when he was moved over from offensive line coach. Still, the results since have been awful. The Eagles have given up at least 28 points in each of its last five losses, the worst defensive streak in franchise history.

And it’s been the way they’ve lost, as much as anything. After last week’s loss to Carolina, tight end Brent Celak didn’t disagree when a reporter suggested other teams were “laughing” at the Eagles.

And remember, just a year ago, Celak was one of the big-name playmakers on the NFL’s so-called “dream team” – along with Vick, LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, and on defense, Nnamdi Asamougha and Jason Babin. They were expected to lift the Eagles to their first-ever Super Bowl title.

Instead, it’s all fallen apart with this week, Jackson placed on injured reserve and Babin released.

There you have it.

Bob Costas’ Halftime Commentary on Guns

I missed this as I was taking care of my nephew. But signing on Twitter, there is a lot of reaction to this halftime commentary on Bob Costas which is based on an article written by Fox Sports’ Jason Whitlock on the tragic murder-suicide of Jevon Belcher of the Kansas City Chiefs. As you know by now, it left his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins dead and the Chiefs organization reeling plus a three month old girl without parents. A big mess.

Well, Bob chose the bully pulpit forum of Sunday Night Football, the largest primetime audience on television, broadcast or cable to pontificate on guns. Now whether you agree or not with Costas is entirely up to you. Many of you will probably agree with him while many others will feel it is their right to bear arms under the Constitution.

You can argue whether a NFL game is the proper place to make a commentary on gun control. Certainly Bob ruffled some feathers with this commentary which is what such things are supposed to do.

Since Bob started doing halftime commentaries on Sunday Night Football, I can count on one hand the times I’ve praised his comments. This edition does not help. It makes him come off as pompous. And again, it does not matter whether or not you agree with Costas, this is a strange place to make gun control the topic.

Thanks to Awful Announcing, here’s the video.

It’s been quite the weekend regarding the Belcher-Perkins story. This commentary adds more fuel to the fire and continues the debate.

NBC’s Football Night in America Previews Its Week 13 Interview For 2012 Season

Tonight in advance of the Philadelphia Eagles-Dallas Cowboys game on Sunday Night Football, NBC’s Football Night in America will air a Bob Costas interview of linebacker DeMarcus Ware from the Cowboys.

We have a partial transcript and it’s all below for you.

“FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA” PREVIEW – WEEK 13 BOB COSTAS INTERVIEWS COWBOYS LB DEMARCUS WARE

“We have not been the team that we want to be, but we are on the road to where we need to be.” – DeMarcus Ware on the Cowboys
“You say four of the five, but you need to look a little bit more than that. We need to try and win all five.” – Ware on the Cowboys and the playoffs

NEW YORK – December 2, 2012 – Bob Costas interviewed Dallas Cowboys LB DeMarcus Ware for tonight’s Week 13 edition of Football Night in America, which will preview Eagles-Cowboys, and will also include highlights, analysis and reaction to earlier Week 13 games.

Football Night In America, the most-watched pre-game studio show in sports, airs each Sunday at 7 p.m. ET with Costas hosting the program live from inside the stadium. He will be joined on site by Sunday Night Football commentators Al Michaels (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (analyst) as well as NBC NFL analyst and former Steelers WR Hines Ward for reaction to the afternoon games and to preview tonight’s match-up.

Dan Patrick co-hosts Football Night from Studio 8G at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios and is joined by Super Bowl-winning head coach Tony Dungy, two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison, Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk on NBCSports.com.

INTERVIEWS: Below are excerpts from Costas’ interviews with Coughlin and Cobb.

DEMARCUS WARE WITH BOB COSTAS

On the Cowboys record this season: “We have not been the team that we want to be, but we are on the road to where we need to be.”

On the Cowboys and the playoffs: “You say four of the five, but you need to look a little bit more than that. We need to try and win all five.”

On being held in the same regard as Lawrence Taylor and Reggie White: “Coming in and being a pass rusher, those are the guys that you look up to. Reggie White, Bruce Smith and Lawrence Taylor, those are the guys you try to idolize your pass rush skills after. To be named with those guys is a great honor.”

On playing for former Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells, and how often Parcells spoke about Lawrence Taylor: “When I first came to Dallas, he (Parcells) said this is who you need to play like. This is who you need to pass rush like. You need to have the same relentless demeanor. He stuck that in my head. Off the field, you are two different guys. On the field, this is how I want you to play.”

On being featured in a new cartoon on Nickelodeon: “The NFL and Nickelodeon teamed up, and I’m one of the characters in an episode that comes out soon. My character was all about being a leader and adapting to your environment. It’s weird to have my kids watching their daddy on television.”

I’m expecting ESPN’s quotage from Sunday NFL Countdown. Once it arrives in the Fang’s Bites inbox, I’ll post it here.

Sunday Night Football Halftime Commentary For Week 12 of the 2012 NFL Season

Bob Costas talked about the Giants in his halftime commentary. Other subjects were broached as well. We have what was discussed below.

And that is it.

PACKERS-GIANTS HALFTIME COMMENTARY

ON GIANTS

Bob Costas: “It’s been said that momentum is among sports’ biggest mysteries. And, perhaps, no franchise in football has demonstrated how much, and how quickly, fortunes can change more than Tom Coughlin’s New York Giants.

“In two separate seasons, they’ve had a five-game winning streak immediately followed by a four-game losing streak. Another year, they started 11-1, but then lost four of their last five, including their lone playoff game. And, of course, they’ve won the Super Bowl twice — as a Wild Card five seasons ago and last year after just a 9-7 regular season that included a four-game losing streak at just about this time of year.

“This season, again a November dip, which tonight, it looks like they’re about to snap and in a big way. They have more than enough momentum, so far, leading 31-10 at the half.”

Hines Ward: “This is bad for the NFC contenders. They do not want to see a hot New York Giants team at this point in the season because they’ve proven what they can do when they get hot at the end of the year.”

ON 49ERS

Tony Dungy on Colin Kaepernick: “Jim Harbaugh, the coach, he drafted Colin Kaepernick in the second round last year. He expected this. He’s watched him practice for two years, and turned him loose. He got just what he expected. He’s got a great player.”
Rodney Harrison: “And as a defense, I want to face Alex Smith because you can play your base defense. You don’t have to worry about him running and beating you with his legs. With Kaepernick, you have to completely change your defensive game plan. He threatens the entire defense.”

That is all.

NBC Previews Football Night in America’s Interviews For Week 12 of the 2012 NFL Season

Tonight on Football Night in America, Bob Costas will talk with Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb and New York Football Giants coach Tom Coughlin in advance of tonight’s Sunday Night Football game on NBC.

Football Night in America airs at 7 p.m. ET on NBC. Take a look at the partial transcripts of the interviews that will air tonight.

“FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA” PREVIEW – WEEK 12

BOB COSTAS INTERVIEWS GIANTS HEAD COACH TOM COUGHLIN & PACKERS WR RANDALL COBB
“When people ask me the question about last year, I simply say, ‘It didn’t finish too badly.’” – Tom Coughlin on his team’s rollercoaster seasons
“We’ll take out that vengeance on the field.” –Randall Cobb on last year’s playoff loss to the Giants

NEW YORK – November 25, 2012 – Bob Costas interviewed New York Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin and Packers WR Randall Cobb for tonight’s Week 12 edition of Football Night in America, which will preview Packers-Giants, and will also include highlights, analysis and reaction to earlier Week 12 games.

Football Night In America, the most-watched pre-game studio show in sports, airs each Sunday at 7 p.m. ET with Costas hosting the program live from inside the stadium. He will be joined on site by Sunday Night Football commentators Al Michaels (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (analyst) as well as NBC NFL analyst and former Steelers WR Hines Ward for reaction to the afternoon games and to preview tonight’s match-up.

Dan Patrick co-hosts Football Night from Studio 8G at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios and is joined by Super Bowl-winning head coach Tony Dungy, two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison, Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk on NBCSports.com.

INTERVIEWS: Below are excerpts from Costas’ interviews with Coughlin and Cobb.

TOM COUGHLIN WITH BOB COSTAS

On if he has a theory about his teams start well and then slump and then experience a late surge: “I really never have sat down and said, ‘Look, this is a major major issue for us.’ Because when people ask me the question about last year, I simply say, ‘It didn’t finish too badly.’ But, that doesn’t disregard the fact that this does take place. Why does it take place? That is a very good question. I can throw some things at you after 10 games. Were we a little bit stale? Where we injured? Were we fatigued? No, I think they are all excuses and we don’t make excuses around here. So, we just didn’t play as well as we are capable of playing.”

On still having confidence this season despite recent losses, and whether they will come out on top: “We will. There is not any question about that Bob. We’ve been through this before. It’s unfortunate, but it does go a bit like that on occasion, so we have a lot of things that, we are trying to work and improve upon. But we know we’ve been here and we know we have been able to pull ourselves out of these kind of things before.”

On what was going through his mind during David Tyree’s famous ‘Helmet Catch’ during Super Bowl XLII: “The Tyree thing, first I’m looking out there and Eli is trapped, I mean, they’ve got him. Then he throws it down the middle of the field, and I’m like ‘Oh my God it’s down the middle of the field.’ Because a lot of times you overthrow the ball in the middle of the field and good things don’t happen. He’s got the ball pinned to his helmet, and he can’t hang, there’s no way he can hang on to the ball falling on the ground like that, especially with a guy that was hanging over him (Rodney Harrison). He did.”

On Tom Brady’s Hail Mary during Super Bowl XLVI, putting the ball right in the end zone: “The last play of the game. You know we left a little bit of time on for this guy and we know, we didn’t want Tom Brady to have any time. He hits a fourth-and- seventeen for crying out loud, are you serious? He doesn’t loft the ball, he throws a rocket, and its coming right at its coming down like this and you teach your guys to knock the ball down, and they can’t knock it down because he’s throwing where those 6’ 7” guys are. I can still see Kenny Phillips up as high as he could go and there’s a bunch of hands up there, and I’m worried if the ball is going to tip off their hands to the back line, because they’re are starting to be in position there. In reality, Antrel Rolle and (Rob) Gronkowski are going for the ball low like its right here. All the sudden it’s on the ground and I’m thinking ‘Wow we’re World Champions.’”

RANDALL COBB WITH BOB COSTAS

On his first game in the NFL in 2011 against the New Orleans Saints where he ran an amazing 108 yards for a touchdown: “I felt something inside of me, telling me it was time to bring it out. I trusted my instincts and I made that move and the rest is history.”

Costas: ‘It’s like a version of the basketball thing where the coach thinks the guys is taking a bad shot, ‘No, no, no, yes!’: “Yes, Yes!”

On earning the trust of QB Aaron Rodgers, who recently commented on Cobb saying, ‘He does so many things on the field. ‘He’s so smart. He knows progressions and timing and when he has to get open’: “It does and that is something that I really wanted to work on this off-season. Understanding when I’m the No. 1 read and when I’m the No. 3 read and understanding how to use my leverage as a receiver. It was a good off-season for me being able to build that chemistry with him.”

On being a tough receiver despite his height: “You have to as a receiver. They’ve made the game a lot safer for the receivers. I really don’t agree with some of this stuff, because I like the physicality, I like the toughness in football. That’s one of the reasons that I like the game. I always was a fearless kid. I wanted to play with my older brother so much. My older brother was seven years older than me, my cousins, they all played football out in the street. Tackle football out in the street. On the concrete and they wouldn’t let me play. The older I got, the more I wanted to play. I think that drove me, that passion of just being tough and physical.”

Costas: ‘They played tackle football on concrete? Without helmets I’m guessing? No pads, street clothes I’m guessing? This is insane, you know that?’: “No helmets. No pads. Just street clothes. Yes it is (insane).”

On whether the Packers loss to the Giants during the playoffs last year at Lambeau Field still stings: “Oh yeah, it definitely does. When you go 15-1 and are projected to win the Super Bowl. When you let a team come into your house, and knock you off the throne, that’s something that’s going to stay with you. I think that’s something I use as motivation. When you think about that, it’s in the back of your mind. You don’t forget those kinds of games and I think that’s something that all of us have been thinking this week in practice. I think that we’ll take out that vengeance on the field.”

That’s going to do it. The next post should be the FNIA quotage from tonight.

Bob Costas’ Halftime Commentary on Sunday Night Football For Week 11 of the 2012 NFL Season

With his on-air partner Hines Ward on the field celebrating the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bob Costas went back to his halftime commentary. This wasn’t as obnoxious as past diatribes. This was discussing how the 2012 really starts now. Ok, I guess the first 10 weeks didn’t count.

Here’s the transcript.

Bob Costas’ Halftime Essay on the Real NFL Season

The arrival of Thanksgiving means the season is nearing its home stretch. As it does, the landscape at the top of the standings is notable for its, well, uncertainty.

While the NFL is rightly known for its parity, alongside the notion that every team has a chance every season is the reality that over the last several seasons one team has often stood apart, at least in the regular season. Over the past six years, five teams have jumped out to 10-0 starts or better, including the Packers a year ago and well-remembered teams led by Peyton Manning in Indianapolis and Tom Brady in New England.

While it didn’t happen this year, today, two teams moved to 9-1, though hardly in impressive fashion. In Atlanta, Matt Ryan threw five interceptions, nearly giving the game away to the free-falling Cardinals. And in Houston, the Jaguars, with just one win all season, scored 37 points against the vaunted Texans defense, and led by 14 in the fourth before Houston awoke and then won it in overtime. So, if it’s possible to be 9-1 but still not a clear cut favorite, that’s where the Falcons and Texans are.

And here’s part of the reason why: It’s been nine years, going back to the ’03 Patriots, since the team with the league’s best record won the Super Bowl. Instead, it’s been teams like the 9-7 Giants last year, the 10-6 Packers of two years ago, who snuck into the playoffs as a Wild Card on the last day of the season, plus other Wild Cards, and not-necessarily dominant division champs, who rode late momentum to the Super Bowl.

So in light of that trend, may we suggest you cast an eye toward New Orleans, once left for dead at 0-4, now a surging 5-5 and looming larger in the rearview mirror when it comes to the Wild Card race.

Thanksgiving is four days away and the real NFL season is just beginning.

###

ON THANKSGIVING NIGHT GAME BETWEEN JETS AND PATRIOTS

Rodney Harrison: “I think the home team has the advantage. You don’t have to worry about packing up. You don’t have to worry about getting on a plane. You have that extra day of rest. Just in case you’re a little sore, you can hop in the hot tub. I think definitely the home team has the advantage.”
Tony Dungy: “I always felt the team with the veteran quarterback has the advantage. I went on the road twice on Thanksgiving in Indy with Peyton Manning, and we won huge both times. You can do things. You can just put in quick new game plans, and I think that bodes well for Tom Brady.”

That’s all.

NBC’s Football Night in America Quotage For Week 11 of 2012 Season

Let’s complete our Sunday NFL pregame quotage with NBC’s Football Night in America. Lots of stuff said on the hour plus program.

“FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA” NOTES & QUOTES – WEEK 11

“The owner said Andy Reid had to make the playoffs. They are not making the playoffs.” – Tony Dungy
“Sounds like the definition of a bad team.” – Rodney Harrison on the Eagles’ struggles
“Chip Kelly is going to be the most desirable candidate in the off-season for NFL openings.” – Peter King
“If the Jets run the ball and don’t get into a throwing match, I think they can win the ballgame.” –Dungy on Thanksgiving night’s Jets-Patriots game

NEW YORK – November 18, 2012 – Following are highlights for Football Night in America. Bob Costas opened the show live from inside Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pa., where the Steelers are hosting the Baltimore Ravens. Costas was joined on-site by Sunday Night Football commentators Al Michaels (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (analyst), and Hines Ward, the former Steelers wide receiver and Super Bowl MVP.

Dan Patrick co-hosted the program from Studio 8G at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios and was joined by Football Night in America analysts Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison, and NFL insiders Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Carolyn Manno reported on Colts-Patriots, from Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.

Following are highlights from Football Night in America:

ON COWBOYS

Michaels: “I saw that whole game. It took them four hours to beat the Cleveland Browns. They lost that game like 15 different times…Overtime was crazy. It’s a gigantic win.”

Dungy: “Again, not being able to do the ordinary things…They’re going to try and protect a four-point lead, 1:10 to go and they can’t count to 11 (nine men on the field that led to Browns TD). They created this problem themselves just not being able to line up.”

Dungy: “The Dallas Cowboys are alive. With all the trauma and drama in Dallas, I’m just saying they’re alive.”

ON EAGLES

Florio: “Michael Vick most likely won’t be back in Philly next year as the quarterback, but we could see him back as soon as next week given the fact that Nick Foles didn’t play that well. I am told that the team has overstated Mike Vick’s concussion symptoms. He is not hurt as badly as believed. We could see him next week.”

Dungy: “What we saw is Michael Vick wasn’t the only problem. Bad coverage, bad tackling, dropped balls, a lot of problems in Philadelphia.”
Harrison: “Sounds like the definition of a bad team.”
Dungy: “I’m sure they’re going to have a new coach and a lot of new players next year. The owner said Andy Reid had to make the playoffs. They are not making the playoffs.”

ON JETS

Dungy: “This was the right formula for them. Twenty passes for Mark Sanchez, not 40 or 45, and getting things done…This is what they need to do, run, play defense, and a little bit of Mark Sanchez.”

Dungy on Thanksgiving night game vs. Patriots: “If the Jets run the ball and don’t get into a throwing match, I think they can win the ballgame…I think the Jets have a shot to win.”

ON PATRIOTS

Harrison: “The one thing we know about the Patriots, they can score offensively. But I think you look at this game (vs. Colts) and see that they’re a much improved defensive team. They are scoring touchdowns on defense, they’re creating turnovers.”

ON COLTS

Harrison on Andrew Luck: “It was just bad decision making. It wasn’t anything fancy, any fancy scheme or anything that confused him. He just made bad throws.”

ON TEXANS

Collinsworth: “The question was could Matt Schaub carry that team with the passing game if he had to? 527 yards later today, the answer is yes.”

Harrison on if today’s performance was a letdown or showed some flaws: “I think it was more of an emotional and mental letdown.”
Dungy: “I really do think that that win against Chicago took something out of them.”

ON SAINTS

Dungy on playoff chances: “They have a chance. This offense can allow them to string together four or five wins in a row, but we’ll find out next week (when they play the 49ers).

ON BUCCANEERS

Harrison: “They showed a lot of mental toughness today, overcoming some early mistakes.”

ON PACKERS

Patrick on Aaron Rodgers’ performance despite team’s rash of injuries: “Pretty amazing if you consider what he’s done.”
Dungy: “A lot of noise, great pass rush, but when they needed it, Aaron Rodgers made the big drive.”

ON FALCONS

Harrison: “The winning formula to me is they have to get back to running the ball with Michael Turner…throwing the ball 40 or 50 times a game, they can’t win like this…You can beat the Arizonas of the world but when you start playing against good quality teams, like Green Bay, you are not going to be able to win those games.”

ON COACHING

Florio: “Six weeks until the end of the regular season and coaches will be fired. Let’s start in Cleveland where (head) coach Pat Shurmur and general manager Tom Heckert are virtually certain to be gone as soon as Cleveland’s season ends. In San Diego, Norv Turner could be gone as soon as this week unless the Chargers find a way to avoid going three games behind the Broncos. They are playing Denver today. Finally, in Philadelphia, it is no longer ‘if,’ it is definitely ‘when’ owner Jeffrey Lorie will pull the plug on Andy Reid.”

King: “(Oregon head coach) Chip Kelly is going to be the most desirable candidate in the off-season for NFL openings.”

ON CONCUSSIONS

Florio: “In that huge concussion lawsuit brought by nearly 4,000 former players against the NFL, there was news this week of a supposed ‘smoking gun’ given that the NFL’s Disability Board had paid payments of benefits to former players who had brain damage due to concussions. But, if this means the NFL knew about the connection between concussions and brain damage, it also means the players knew because NFLPA representatives are on that Disability Board.”

Click here to watch a video: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22825103/vp/49879019#49879019

ON STEELERS

Ward: “All the guys love Byron’s attitude. He always brings that positive attitude. He’s got to be one of the most confident guys on the team, and that’s a great trait to have as a backup quarterback.”

ON RAVENS

Ward on Terrell Suggs, who surprisingly told Bob Costas he was going to miss Ward, who retired, in tonight’s game: “I miss the guy too. I love everything about him. I think he epitomizes what this rivalry is all about.”

Ward on the rivalry: “For me, when I was playing, I was the ‘tempo setter.’ I always wanted to set the tempo for the game and try to play into the Ravens players’ minds to get inside their heads. On the first play in the AFC Championship game in 2008, I went after Ed Reed. Next thing I know, I have three Ravens players beating me up. Unfortunately, I come out with the penalty, but throughout the whole game those guys were trying to retaliate and get me back.”

And we’re done.

NBC’s Football Night in America Previews the Interviews for Week 11 of the 2012 NFL Season

Tonight, NBC will air the AFC North Division blood rivalry game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers. In advance of the game, Bob Costas will conduct three interviews on Football Night in America, aired from 7 p.m. until 8:15 p.m. ET.

Bob will talk with Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs, Steelers quarterback Byron Leftwich and former Steelers running back Franco Harris. Not sure what relevance Franco has for tonight’s game, but NBC will find a way to make him so.

Here’s a partial transcript of tonight’s three interviews on NBC’s Football Night in America. Everything is included in black and white below for you.

“FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA” PREVIEW – WEEK 11

BOB COSTAS INTERVIEWS RAVENS LB TERRELL SUGGS & STEELERS HALL OF FAME RB FRANCO HARRIS
“I’m starting to get a little itch.” – Terrell Suggs to Bob Costas on wanting to win a Super Bowl
“I ran to the ball every time in practice not knowing that something like this was going to happen.” – Franco Harris to Bob Costas on the Immaculate Reception
“Why on Earth would I try and go do something I know I can’t do?” – Byron Leftwich on trying to duplicate Ben Roethlisberger

NEW YORK – November 18, 2012 – Bob Costas interviewed Baltimore Ravens LB Terrell Suggs and Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame RB Franco Harris for tonight’s Week 11 edition of Football Night in America, which will preview Ravens-Steelers, and will also include highlights, analysis and reaction to earlier Week 11 games. Football Night also interviewed Steelers QB Byron Leftwich.

Football Night In America, the most-watched pre-game studio show in sports, airs each Sunday at 7 p.m. ET with Costas hosting the program live from inside the stadium. He will be joined on site by Sunday Night Football commentators Al Michaels (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (analyst) as well as NBC NFL analyst and former Steelers WR Hines Ward for reaction to the afternoon games and to preview tonight’s match-up.

Dan Patrick co-hosts Football Night from Studio 8G at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios and is joined by Super Bowl-winning head coach Tony Dungy, two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison, Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk on NBCSports.com. Carolyn Manno will report on Colts-Patriots, from Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.

INTERVIEWS: Below are excerpts from Costas’ interviews with Suggs and Harris, as well as Football Night’s interview with Leftwich.

TERRELL SUGGS WITH BOB COSTAS

On his disappointment that Hines Ward (retired) and Ben Roethlisberger (injured) won’t be playing: “I’m a little bummed. If you’re going to throw on a performance, you need the players. I’m going to be a little bummed not to see 86 (Ward) and, to be totally honest with you, 7 (Roethlisberger). But once the whistle blows, it’ll be business as usual.”

On what he said to the doctor when he was told he wouldn’t play in 2012 after an Achilles tear last year: “I’m not going to accept that. He could be wrong, and then I got a second opinion and they told me nine-12 months. I said, “You’re wrong. You don’t know me.” I said I was going to do something and I did it. My whole life I lived by the motto, if I can’t do it, it can’t be done. So I went out there and did it.”

On if he feels like the window to win a championship is narrowing now that he’s 30: “Not really, because I don’t feel like I’m 30. I don’t feel like I’m 30, I feel like a young kid feels just playing football. For my first two years in the league, I was the youngest guy in the NFL. But I don’t feel that way, my body feels great. Do I feel the window closing? No, but I’m starting to get a little itch. I’m starting to get a little draft…We better get this done and soon, if we’re not only going to win multiples, but we’ve got to get the first one very soon.”

FRANCO HARRIS WITH BOB COSTAS

Costas on the Immaculate Reception and reports that Harris would regularly “go to the ball” in practice: “Even though there’s a huge element of chance in this play, part of it is not chance, because you went to the ball.”

On why he practiced ‘going to the ball’: “That part I credit Joe Paterno with because at practice he’d be hollering, ‘Harris, go to the ball.’ From that first pass in practice where the ball was caught, I ran to the ball, and I ran to the ball every time in practice not knowing that something like this was going to happen.”

BYRON LEFTWICH

On the impact of losing Ben Roethlisberger: “I understand that when you lose Ben, a guy who’s been to three Super Bowls in nine years, that that’s a special football player.”

On trying to duplicate Roethlisberger: “Why on Earth would I try and go do something I know I can’t do? At that the same time, I feel as though I can play a little bit. I feel as though I can go out here and execute this offense well.”

We’re now on evening break until Football Night in America quotage.

NBC’s Football Night in America Previews Week 10′s Interviews

For Week 10 of the 2012 season, NBC’s Sunday Night Football will be in a stormy Chicago for the Houston Texans-Chicago Bears game.

As usual, Bob Costas will on hand to conduct interviews for Football Night in America. Tonight, Bob talks with the Texans’ Arian Foster and for the Bears, it will Charles “Peanut” Tillman and Brian Urlacher.

We have partial transcripts of the interviews below.

“FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA” PREVIEW – WEEK 10

BOB COSTAS INTERVIEWS BEARS LB BRIAN URLACHER AND CB CHARLES TILLMAN, AND TEXANS RB ARIAN FOSTER
“Right now, he is the defensive player of the year. There is no doubt about it. His teammates believe he is the best defensive player in the NFL. The star of our defense is him.” – Brian Urlacher on Charles Tillman
“There have been players who have been to the Pro Bowl, but then you don’t remember their names. There are players who have had great games, but you don’t remember their names. I’ve always felt that there is this fire inside of me that is never going to die . I have never felt like I have made it. ” – Arian Foster on his career
“I think they are right behind our defense. I stand firm on that. I feel like we have the best defense in the NFL.” – Arian Foster on Brian Urlacher, Charles Tillman and the Chicago Bears defense

NEW YORK – November 11, 2012 – Bob Costas interviewed Bears LB Brian Urlacher and CB Charles Tillman, and Texans RB Arian Foster for tonight’s Week 10 edition of Football Night in America. The program will preview Texans-Bears and will also include highlights, analysis and reaction to earlier Week 10 games.

Football Night In America, the most-watched pre-game studio show in sports, airs each Sunday at 7 p.m. ET with Costas hosting the program live from inside the stadium. He will be joined on site by Sunday Night Football commentators Al Michaels (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (analyst) as well as NBC NFL analyst Hines Ward for reaction to the afternoon games and to preview tonight’s match-up.

Dan Patrick co-hosts Football Night from Studio 8G at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios and is joined by Super Bowl-winning head coach Tony Dungy, two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison, Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on NBCSports.com. Carolyn Manno will report from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on the Cowboys-Eagles game.

INTERVIEWS: Below are excerpts from Costas’ interviews with Urlacher, Tillman and Foster.

BRIAN URLACHER AND CHARLES TILLMAN WITH BOB COSTAS

Tillman on possibly missing the game to be present for the birth of his child – “It’s still up in the air. I can’t control when the baby comes. We are scheduled to get induced on Monday.”

Tillman on his wife’s plans to attend the game on Sunday – “She’s a football fan. What can I say, she has never missed a game.”

Tillman on being considered the best defensive player in the NFL – “No. I don’t really care for it. The only thing I’m worried about is winning a Super Bowl. You can have all of the other accolades and awards.”

Urlacher on Tillman – “Right now, he is the defensive player of the year. There is no doubt about it. His teammates believe he is the best defensive player in the NFL. The star of our defense is him.”

Tillman on Urlacher’s pick six last week – “He might have been a little tired, but he got in the end zone. We got the end result. We got the six points.”

Urlacher on his pick six last week – “I wasn’t tired, I was setting up the quarterback. I’ve been tackled by the quarterback before, so I was trying to make him think I was slow. Which I am, most of the time, but I was really trying to cut back.”

Tillman on his nickname – “Genghis. No, that’s what coach Marinelli calls me. The nickname you are probably referring to is ‘Peanut’. My aunt Renee gave me the nickname ‘Peanut’. I was a small baby.”

Ulacher on Tillman’s nickname – “‘Nuts’, ‘dummy’, ‘fool’. Those are good ones. We never call him ‘Charles’.”

Tillman on Urlacher’s nickname – “‘Meathead’ or ‘dummy’. Or we call him ‘Lach’.”

ARIAN FOSTER WITH BOB COSTAS

Foster on being able to say that he is one of the best in the NFL – “I don’t think I’ve had that moment yet. I think I have had a moment where I’m in the NFL, but I have never had a moment like I have made it. There have been players who have been to the Pro Bowl, but then you don’t remember their names. There are players who have had great games, but you don’t remember their names. I’ve always felt that there is this fire inside of me that is never going to die. I have never felt like I have made it.”

Foster on his thoughts about Tillman and Urlacher – “I think they are right behind our defense. I stand firm on that. I feel like we have the best defense in the NFL.”

On being able to tie a bow tie- “Not many, but everyone secretly wants to know how to tie a bow tie.”

Costas- “Can you give me a demonstration?”
Foster – “It’s really simple. Can you hold a mirror up for me?”

Costas – “Sure.”
Foster – “First, you cross the tie over like this. Can you hold the mirror up a little higher?”

Costas – “No problem.”
Foster- “Thank you. Then you want to go underneath. Once through, which should give you a nice little knot, you fold it up. That gives you the nice bow tie look. Then you come over the top with it. Then you come back underneath.”

Costas – “George Will and Bruce Bowen know this already, but nobody else does.”
Foster – “It’s a well-kept secret, but everyone should know how to do it. Bada Bing.”Costas – “Bada Boom.”
Foster – “Bada Boom.”
Foster – “The key to bow ties is that they can always be crooked.”

Costas – “It’s a little jaunty.”
Foster- “Right. I don’t know what that means (laughs), but I assume that means crooked.”
Costas – “You are a gentleman and a scholar.”
Foster- “Thank you. Likewise.”

That is all.

NBC’s Football Night in America Quotage For Week 8 of the 2012 NFL Season

Let’s now complete the Sunday NFL pregame quotage with NBC’s Football Night in America. Check it out.

“FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA” NOTES & QUOTES – WEEK 8

“I’ve been a Sanchez supporter and have said that you need to stay with your quarterback, but it’s time to make the change.” – Tony Dungy on the Jets
“Tebow will give you leadership. He will give you passion. It’s contagious throughout that locker room. I look at how unselfish this young man is. He’s playing on special teams. He’s playing running back. He’s playing tight-end. You have to give him a chance. Nothing else is working. As a coach, that is your duty.” – Rodney Harrison on the Jets
“They have no identity. This offense has no identity. They don’t know if they want to be a big play offense that passes the ball down the field or if they want to be a running offense.” – Rodney Harrison on the Chargers
“Football is always a chess game, but you are up against a chess master when you play Peyton Manning.” – Bob Costas

NEW YORK – October 28, 2012 – Following are highlights for Football Night in America. Bob Costas opened the show live from inside Sports Authority Field in Denver, Colo. where the Broncos are hosting the New Orleans Saints. Costas was joined on-site by Sunday Night Football commentators Al Michaels (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (analyst), and Hines Ward, the former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver, Super Bowl MVP and newest addition to NBC Sports’ NFL team.

Dan Patrick co-hosted the program from Studio 8G at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios and was joined by Football Night in America analysts Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison, and NFL insiders Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Alex Flanagan reported from Cowboys Stadium in Dallas on the Giants-Cowboys game.

Following are highlights from Football Night in America:

ON SAINTS

Collinsworth on how much “Bountygate” affected the team’s performance this season: “You do have to say a little of it was self-imposed because they didn’t get the contract done with Drew Brees. You have to wonder, with all those people and all the controversy, if he (Brees) had just been in the building. We know this guy is a dynamic leader of that football team. They didn’t get the job done and that hurt them.

“Greg Williams, the former defensive coordinator, is sort of hyperbole run amuck. It sounds horrible and I agree that he should have been punished. The issue is, were the players trying to hurt somebody? That’s the threshold as far as I’m concerned, and there really hasn’t been any evidence of that. I think that’s where this hearing is going to be interesting.”
Costas: “The league is convinced it has a very strong case.”

ON PEYTON MANNING

Ward on playing against Manning: “It’s very frustrating. It seems like he thrives in situations to try and bring his team back. Having Peyton Manning on the field is always a threat, because he always has the chance to bring his team back and win the ballgame.”

Ward: “Tennessee recruited me at the same time they were recruiting Peyton Manning. They said that if I signed with Tennessee, they would stop recruiting Peyton Manning.”
Collinsworth: “What?”
Ward: “It’s true. I don’t know if they lied to me or what.”
Collinsworth: “Let me just tell you, yes, they lied to you. That is exactly what happened. That has to go down as one of the biggest lies in recruiting history.”

Dungy on Manning: “It’s not what he does in the clutch. It’s the preparation for the clutch. And knowing what’s going on. That’s where he really stands out.”

Costas: “Football is always a chess game, but you are up against a chess master when you play Peyton Manning.”

ON JETS

Dungy: “I’ve been a Sanchez supporter and have said that you need to stay with your quarterback, but it’s time to make the change.”
Harrison: “Tebow will give you leadership. He will give you passion. It’s contagious throughout that locker room. I look at how unselfish this young man is. He’s playing on special teams. He’s playing running back. He’s playing tight-end. You have to give him a chance. Nothing else is working. As a coach, that is your duty.”

Dungy on the Jets making Tebow their starting QB: “This is absolutely the right time to do it. If you are going to make the change, you have to change the offense totally and do the things Tim can do well.”

ON GIANTS

Alex Flanagan reporting from Cowboys stadium in Dallas: “The Giants are scrambling as fast as they can out of Cowboys Stadium. They cut some interviews short. They are trying to get home in time before their plane is cancelled by Hurricane Sandy.”

ON COWBOYS

Patrick on Tony Romo: “How do you throw the last play out of bounds?”
Dungy: “Everybody is going to be talking about the last part of the game and the time management.”
Rodney: “Once it becomes third-down-and-one, you have to run the ball. They are giving you the run. You have to get the first down.”

Dungy on Tony Romo’s pass to Dez Bryant with seconds left in the game: “You know Dez Bryant is going to get the ball. How did they let him run free?”

Harrison on Jason Garrett: “I can see if it happened once in a while, but it is happening every single week. The turnovers, the time management and the penalties. We see it each and every week. This is not a well prepared team.” *(Comments made during halftime of the Saints-Broncos game)

ON EAGLES

Mike Florio on Vick: “The Mike Vick era in Philadelphia could be ending. After today’s loss Vick told reporters that coach Andy Reed is considering making a change to rookie Nick Foles. And Vick actually said he would support it. But I’m told that privately Vick is upset. Vick doesn’t believe that it’s his fault that the team lost today. Vick didn’t make any mistakes and he thinks it was more of a defensive collapse.”

Video clip of Florio on Vick: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22825103/vp/49591244#49591244

Dungy: “They are in desperate times in Philadelphia, but I don’t know that changing quarterbacks helps this offense.”
Harrison: “You have to give them a spark. You have to change and try something different. You also have to figure out what your future is with Michael Vick. Play the young rookie now. Let him come in. See if he can play. If not, then you go back to Vick.”
Dungy: “I don’t think Andy Reid is worried about the future. How can we win some games? How can we get back in this race? Unless they can protect better, I don’t know if going to Foles is going to help.”

Dungy: I think you have to stay with him (Vick). There is a lot of desperation in Philadelphia right now, but Andy Reid is coaching for his job. He has to make the playoffs to keep his job. Michael Vick gives him a better chance than a rookie quarterback who has never played. *(Comments made during halftime of the Saints-Broncos game.)

ON STEELERS AND EAGLES

Dungy: “My headline is football in Pennsylvania. In Western PA, we are getting good football from the Steelers. They look like they are going to make a run in the AFC North. In the Eastern side of the state, bad football from the Eagles. They change defensive coordinators, but they are now worse on defense.”

ON STEELERS

Dungy on Ben Roethlisberger: “All the talk was about RG III, but Ben Roethlisberger controlled the game.”

ON CHARGERS

Harrison: “I look at Ryan Mathews. He was brought in to replace LaDainian Tomlinson, but he has been a huge disappointment. You look at the injuries and the fumbles. He has not been consistent.”

Harrison: “They have no identity. This offense has no identity. They don’t know if they want to be a big play offense that passes the ball down the field or if they want to be a running offense.”
Dungy: “You have to be able to score on a game-winning drive against Cleveland.”

ON DOLPHINS

Harrison: “The Dolphins are 4-3. They are playing good football and if the playoffs started today, they would be in.”

ON LIONS

Dungy: “They have a chance now with a two-game winning streak. They are still not playing great offense, but they did just enough to hang in there.

ON FALCONS

Dungy on Matt Ryan: “He was unbelievable in the first half. He used all of his weapons. He was on fire and was the most valuable performer today.”

ON CHIEFS

Patrick: “Kansas City is a dead man walking here.”

ON NFL TRADE DEADLINE

King: “If anybody is going to go, I believe it will be one of two guys. Either Dwayne Bowe, the receiver for Kansas City, or Steven Jackson the running back for the St. Louis Rams. But do not call either one of those teams unless you are going to offer at least a third round pick for one of those guys.”

Video clip King on trade deadline: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22825103/vp/49591322#49591322

And that concludes the posts for the day.

NBC Previews Football Night in America Interviews For Week 8 of 2012 NFL Season

And we conclude the Sunday quotage with NBC’s preview of Football Night in America’s Bob Costas interviews. Tonight, Bob talks with Denver Broncos exec John Elway plus New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins in advance of the Sunday Night Football matchup between New Orleans and Denver.

Here’s the preview.

“FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA” PREVIEW – WEEK 8 BOB COSTAS INTERVIEWS BRONCOS HALL OF FAME QB AND EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF FOOTBALL OPERATIONS JOHN ELWAY & SAINTS SAFETY MALCOLM JENKINS

“He is going to be on the short list of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. I think he would just like to solidify it and say I’m (Manning) the best of all time. He can do that by winning some Super Bowls.” – John Elway on Peyton Manning
“We had different plans for him at different points in the game. We didn’t want to keep it the same. You try to keep the ball out of his hands and do whatever you can to keep him off the field.” – Malcolm Jenkins on playing against Manning

NEW YORK – October 28, 2012 – Bob Costas interviewed Denver Broncos Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway and New Orleans Saints Safety Malcolm Jenkins for tonight’s Week 8 edition of Football Night in America, which will preview Saints-Broncos, and will also include highlights, analysis and reaction to earlier Week 8 games.

Football Night In America, the most-watched pre-game studio show in sports, airs each Sunday at 7 p.m. ET with Costas hosting the program live from inside the stadium. He will be joined on site by Sunday Night Football commentators Al Michaels (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (analyst) as well as NBC NFL analyst Hines Ward for reaction to the afternoon games and to preview tonight’s match-up.

Dan Patrick co-hosts Football Night from Studio 8G at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios and is joined by Super Bowl-winning head coach Tony Dungy, two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison, Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk on NBCSports.com. Alex Flanagan will report from Cowboys Stadium in Dallas on the Giants-Cowboys game.

INTERVIEWS: Below are excerpts from Costas’ interviews with Elway and Jenkins.

JOHN ELWAY WITH BOB COSTAS

On the relationship between Elway and Broncos QB Peyton Manning: I just know that when we were going through the process, with my 16-years having played here for an owner who gave us the opportunity to win Super Bowls, as a player that’s what you ask for. For me to be able to sell that to Peyton and tell him what the Denver Broncos are all about, and it really starts at the top with Pat Bowlen. The number one thing he (Manning) was looking for was the ability to go someplace and win a World Championship. I think it started when he looked at the Denver Broncos and our owner Pat Bowlen, and what World Championships mean to him.

On the fraternity of NFL quarterbacks: No question that there is a fraternity. When we have time to spend around each other, which doesn’t come very often. No one knows else knows what it’s like to sit in that pocket, drop back seven-steps, have those guys rush down your throat and be able to stand there and throw a football. There is a unique combination of the way we think and when we get around each other. I’m thrilled that he (Manning) came here and we have had the right opportunity to get the right people around him to hopefully win a World Championship.

On where Manning currently is in his career: You know, it’s always hard for me to tell. I’ve seen great growth in him since he signed with us in March. The way that he has worked in training camp and through the first six games of the year, especially the last three. I’ve seen him get better and better. I think he is getting close to where he needs to be.

On the personal goals that Manning is still working towards: I think that you are always compared to your contemporaries. Tom Brady has been to five Super Bowls and Peyton’s brother has been to two. I think that even though they are brothers, they are still competitors. I know that I looked at my contemporaries. I looked at Marino and Kelly when I played. As a quarterback it’s what they are doing, and I think that Peyton is looking at his contemporaries now. He is going to be on the short list of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. I think he would just like to solidify it and say I’m (Manning) the best of all time. He can do that by winning some Super Bowls. Hopefully we can get that done.

MALCOLM JENKINS WITH BOB COSTAS

On Jenkins play last week against Vincent Jackson and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: I’ve seen plays like that happen since I was little, since Pop Warner. Somebody gives everything they have and it’s just enough to make the play. The chances of us keeping them out of the end zone are slim, but I know there is still a chance. Whatever I can give, I’m always going to give it, just to give my team the chance to win the game.

On Jenkins similar play last year against the Dallas Cowboys: One thing that Jim Tressel always taught us was that being great usually means it’s not all about talent. Sometimes your God given ability is just not enough. If that’s the case, then you can be fine with that. But if you don’t give all that you have and do the things that you have control over, then you will be disappointed in yourself. So I make sure that whenever those opportunities come I’m always going to give it my all. And they have worked out for me.

On preparing to play against Peyton Manning, when Manning was with the Colts: The biggest thing I remember is the importance of the details. How we aligned and what we were showing him. Knowing that he is reading us was the biggest thing. We studied our own body mannerisms. We had to do a lot of self-scouting to know what he would see and know what we were showing as far as coverage and looks. We had different plans for him at different points in the game. We didn’t want to keep it the same. If you do the same plan for the whole game, it may work early but eventually he will figure it out. You try to keep the ball out of his hands and do whatever you can to keep him off the field. And it worked for us.

That’s it.

On The Next Costas Tonight, Which is Tonight!

Coming on the next Costas Tonight, Bob talks with Bobby. Bobby Valentine, that is. The former Boston Red Sox manager. It will mark Valentine’s first sit-down interview since he was let go by the Red Sox last week.

Michelle Beadle will be on to talk about one of Costas’ favorite subjects, social media trends. And NBC Sports Network NHL analyst Jeremy Roenick will discuss the extended lockout.

Here’s the synopsis from NBC Sports Network.

Bob Costas Goes One-On-One With Former Boston Red Sox Manager Bobby Valentine, Tuesday, October 23 on NBC Sports Network

Valentine’s First Sit-Down Interview Since Being Fired by Red Sox Following the 2012 Baseball Season
Costas Tonight Includes Michelle Beadle on Social Media and Viral Videos, and NBC Sports Group NHL Analyst Jeremy Roenick Discussing the Current Lockout
Costas TonightOriginates from Studio 8G at 30 Rock and Airs Tomorrow, October 23 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network

NEW YORK – October 22, 2012 – Former Major League Baseball manager Bobby Valentine, who was fired after his first season leading the Boston Red Sox, is scheduled to join Bob Costas, a 23-time Emmy Award-winning journalist and one of America’s preeminent interviewers, on the latest edition of Costas Tonight, a 60-minute program, to air on Tuesday, October 23 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network.

This will be Valentine’s first sit-down interview since being fired by the Red Sox the day after the 2012 baseball season ended after his Red Sox finished in last place in the American League East for the first time in 20 years. It was Valentine’s only season as manager of the Boston Red Sox.

In addition to Costas’ sit-down interview with Valentine, NBC Sports’ and Access Hollywood’s Michelle Beadle will make her debut on Costas Tonight, joining Costas to discuss top trending social media topics; and former NHL star and current NBC Sports Group analyst Jeremy Roenick will discuss the NHL lockout, and his experience going through a similar thing in 2005 when he lost an estimated $8 million in salary.

Costas Tonightbuilds on Costas’ long and storied career as an interviewer from Later with Bob Costas and Costas Coast-to-Coast to his acclaimed HBO programs, On the Record and CostasNOW. Costas Tonight originates from Studio 8G at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

That’s all.

NBC Previews Football Night in America’s Interviews For Week 7 of the 2012 NFL Season

Tonight, Bob Costas interviews Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton in advance of tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The interviews will be seen on Football Night in America which airs at 7 p.m. on NBC.

Bob will host the show live from Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati while Dan Patrick will do the highlights from the NBC 30 Rock studios in New York with accompaniment by analysts Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison.

Here are partial transcripts of the interviews that will be seen live tonight. Check it all out.

“FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA” PREVIEW – WEEK 7

BOB COSTAS INTERVIEWS STEELERS HEAD COACH MIKE TOMLIN & BENGALS QB ANDY DALTON
“It’s something that comes with being a Pittsburgh Steeler.” – Mike Tomlin on high expectations
“I don’t think it’s holding me back. I don’t think it’s holding this team back.” – Andy Dalton on his arm strength

NEW YORK – October 21, 2012 – Bob Costas interviewed Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and Cincinnati Bengals QB Andy Dalton for tonight’s Week 7 edition of Football Night in America, which will preview Steelers-Bengals, and will also include highlights, analysis and reaction to earlier Week 7 games.

Football Night In America, the most-watched pre-game studio show in sports, airs each Sunday at 7 p.m. ET with Costas hosting the program live from inside the stadium. He will be joined on site by Sunday Night Football commentators Al Michaels (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (analyst) as well as NBC NFL analyst Hines Ward for reaction to the afternoon games and to preview tonight’s match-up.

Dan Patrick co-hosts Football Night from Studio 8G at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios and is joined by Super Bowl-winning head coach Tony Dungy, two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison, Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk on NBCSports.com. Alex Flanagan will report from Gillette Stadium in New England on the Patriots-Jets game.

INTERVIEWS: Below are excerpts from Costas’ interviews with Tomlin and Dalton.

MIKE TOMLIN WITH BOB COSTAS

On high expectations: “I embrace that. I want to spoil our fans. I want them to have that sense of expectation. I don’t see anything negative about that. We have to deliver. I embrace that. I think our guys embrace that. I think it’s something that comes with being a Pittsburgh Steeler.”

On it still being a young season: “I don’t think you have to remind any of us in this business that; obviously, there’s a lot of talk radio and commentary and things of that nature and they’ve got to fill air time. We’re in Week 6 for us…Those shows got to run. They got to talk about something. We understand that. What we need to start doing is winning games on a consistent basis and it will take care of itself.”

On reigning in Ben Roethlisberger: “I think we’re doing a nice job, even in the midst of running the ball as poorly as we are, because we’re minimizing negative plays. And if you minimize the negative plays, that means your quarterback is upright. That’s one of the goals that we had here for this season, along with winning more games than we have to this point.”

On Roethlisberger having the instinct to make a play: “I hope that never leaves him. We just want to tighten up some things around him to make sure that we’re keeping him as safe as we possibly can.”

Costas: “You made a transition this year from Bruce Arians to Todd Haley. Ben Roethlisberger told me before the first game against Denver, ‘Every coach, at some point, their temper starts to come out. But when it comes to that time, we’ll be able to deal with it and move on.’ Has that time come yet?”
Tomlin: “I don’t know. I’m usually pretty busy when they get a little down time. I’ve always got guys on the grass, as we say in this business. I’m not worried about those interactions. If it hadn’t happened already, I’m sure at some point it will and it won’t be catastrophic. I’m sure we’ll all move on.”

On Steeler nation at away games: “I no longer think they travel. I just think they’re there. I just think they’re everywhere (laughs). I refuse to believe Steeler nation travels. I just think we have fans all over the world and it’s something that’s special when we touch down in different locations and get an opportunity to entertain them.”

ANDY DALTON WITH BOB COSTAS

On his arm strength: “Everything that’s been questioned about me has been in my arm strength. I don’t think it’s holding me back. I don’t think it’s holding this team back…”

On what QBs he looks up to: “Being able to do everything, I think Aaron Rodgers is one of those guys. He’s not just beating you throwing the ball, he’s beating you with his feet as well. And, Drew Brees, there’s not a better guy with footwork and things like that. These are guys I definitely watch.”

On his favorite nickname: “The one that’s stuck is Red Rifle. At first, I wasn’t too sure about it, but now they’ve made shirts, they’ve done a lot of stuff. I guess I’ve learned to accept it.”

On his favorite red-headed athlete: “I think Shaun White. He is one of the best ones. His hair — growing it out long. You can’t beat that.”

On if he’s ever grown his hair out: “I did in high school a little bit. Look at my Rivals picture going into college. It’s pretty bright there.”

On Cincinnati fans now that the Reds are out of the MLB Playoffs: “Cincinnati is very proud of their sports teams and it’s unfortunate for the Reds to go out the way they did. Hopefully all of those fans will come over and start supporting us. There’s a lot of excitement around town. It seems like everywhere you go everybody’s saying, ‘Hey, you’ve got to beat the Steelers. You’ve got to beat the Steelers.’ You know, it is Sunday night. It is a primetime game. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

And that concludes the press releases from Sunday afternoon. I’ll post quotage from Football Night in America later tonight.